My last days in Spain I felt content and very ready to leave. The beginning was very difficult to adjust to. Interestingly enough, I had more culture shock in Spain than I did in Taiwan - or maybe I should say that it was much easier to adjust in Taiwan because it felt more welcoming and was an environment that fit better with my values, allowing me to feel more comfortable and a stronger sense of belonging. I think that in Taiwan I had a much better support system and had a great roommate that I did most things with and she was much more proficient in Mandarin so she took me under her wing in the language department.
Although as a whole I did not specifically enjoy my time in Spain, I respect the experience for what it was and how it helped me grow as a person. I would not return to Spain unless I had a specific reason to go, but I can understand the appeal that it has for others with all of the history and architecture.
I will say that it was nice to live in a city in the sense that there were so many things within walking distance and I felt more active. The gym was 15 minutes walk away, the nearest grocery store was two minutes away, the river was two minutes away, the university was 18 minutes away, there were three parks within 20 minutes walk each, there was a McDonalds and so many other food places within 17 minutes walk. However, I very much still prefer more of a suburban environment in which there is more peace and privacy. Especially on weekend nights where I could not escape the sounds of the city and loud music playing across the river, I would think of my own room in the U.S. where it is completely silent.
Overall, I treated this study abroad trip as if I lived in Sevilla instead of being there visiting. This meant that instead of going on big trips to other countries every weekend I would stay in Sevilla and do things within the city or day trips to significant locations within the region.
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