Reflection on my time in Sevilla

I have had time to reflect on my experiences in Spain and I now realize what a great opportunity this exchange trip was. In Sevilla I got to expirience a new culture, try new foods, practice my Spanish, and make new friends. This exchange trip showed me that the best way to become proficient in a new language is to actively practice it as much as possible. 

The Spanish culture and everyday life was very interesting to me, as it was very different to the culture in America. One example of how life in Spain is different than life here is how they divide up their meals. In Sevilla the lunches that I had were often larger than the dinners that followed. Another important piece of Spanish culture that differs from our culture is bullfighting. Many people find the practice of bullfighting to be cruel to the bull, or too dangerous for the matadors, but to Spaniards bullfighting is an important part of their history and culture. 

My exchange student and his family did not speak very much English, which allowed me to practice my Spanish whenever I was with them. We would have dinners where we would converse entirely in Spanish and I could practice my Spanish while getting to know my exchange students family. By the end of the trip speaking Spanish became natural and much easier. 

My trip to Sevilla Spain was truly an incredeble expirience that I will not forget soon. The connections that I made and the time that I had to practice Spanish were both parts of the exchange trip that I will miss, and I hope to go back to Sevilla soon to practice more Spanish and visit all the people that made my expirience so great.