Initial Arrival: Transportation and Short-Term Housing

After two whirlwind days in Seville for CIEE orientation, I got to jump right in to learning about how the transportation system works (and doesn't work) in Spain. At orientation, I had the opportunity to make two friends really quickly who are placed in Jaén, a province not too far from my own. I also got to meet the other participants placed in my province of Almería, two of whom I plan to search for long-term housing with. There were about 6 of us all together on quite an adventure of a train ride from Seville to Almería, a 6 hour journey. We learned in a not so timely manner that our train line, which was supposed to take us straight to Almería, was under maintenance. This meant we had to get off the train to get on a bus, which took us to another bus, which took us to another train, which took us to another bus, which finally arrived at the Almería train and bus station. All this shifting around from bus to bus would have been much easier if we didn't have all of our luggage to lug around with us. But, we were all together on this adventure, making it more fun. We also got the opportunity to practice our Spanish, as we frequently had to ask to make sure we were getting on the right bus or train. 

A few weeks before leaving America, the bilingual coordinator at my school informed me that Mario, a teacher at my school, would be willing to let me stay with him and his family until I found an apartment. So, when I arrived at Almería, Mario was waiting for me to drive me to his apartment. Mario and his wife have two kids, Lola and Leo, ages 7 and 4 respectively. They all speak English pretty well, with the exception of Leo, who still only speaks garbled Spanish his parents can barely understand (often with a mouth full of food and a Hulk action figure in hand.) But Mario, Christina (his wife) and Lola's ability to speak English is rare in Almería. Almería, I've learned, is quite removed from the rest of the Andalucia region of Spain, and from Spain in general. While exploring Seville, most people ignored my attempts at speaking Spanish and spoke to me in English. In Almería, it is rare to find anyone able to speak English. They also have a strong accent that I have yet to get used to.

Me in the city center of Seville during orientation

I was initially nervous to move in with a Spanish family I didn't know in a city I am unfamiliar with. It's still early, and I'm still a little nervous to explore the city. But, the family has been so kind and welcoming to me--Spanish hospitality is definitely a thing. They have their two kids sharing a room so I can sleep in their daughter's room with my own bathroom. Mario set up wifi in their home just for my usage. He said they will show me around Almería later today. I'm excited to learn about this city I will be living in for the next five months, and to start really delving in to practicing my Spanish.