Pre-Departure

Hello to all my family, friends, peers, and professors (or anyone else reading this)!  A quick disclaimer to start out with:  I have never kept a blog/journal/diary or done any sort of daily documentation of my activities except for a running log.  So considering that I've previously had a little international traveling experience in Europe, this blog might be the most foreign concept I face over the next few months!  I also realize that the majority of you all do not speak Spanish, and therefore I apologize in advance for any mid-sentence language changes.  However, my main goal in studying abroad is to become fluent in Spanish and I can definitely foresee myself switching between English and Spanish without realizing.

Some background information on myself and my trip:  I am from Stevens Point, WI and a sophomore biochemistry and Spanish double major and a pre-Med student as well at the University of Minnesota Duluth.  I also run cross country and track for UMD and I am a member of the UMD Nordic Ski Club.  This spring semester I will be studying abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain.  In addition to becoming fluent in Spanish I hope to learn a lot about Spanish culture, cooking, etc.

I will be leaving for Spain on the 29th of January and will have a 3 day orientation in Madrid, Spain before traveling to Seville.  Once in Seville, I will be living with a 54 year old Spanish woman, her 81 year old mother, and another exchange student from Colorado.  I will also be traveling around Spain and Europe during the semester and for 6 weeks after my program is over.

With my departure rapidly approaching in T-12 days, everything is finally starting to feel real and I am very excited to start this adventure!  Please feel free to comment and ask questions on anything throughout the semester!

¡Hasta España!