A Little Piece of Home

This week, Grace, one of my best friends from Haverford, came to visit me. She is studying in Copenhagen and had this week off of school. It was great to have a little piece of home here. I had forgotten how much I missed having someone around who knows me so well. One one hand, having her here made me feel like I was temporarily back home. There were moments where I forgot I was in Spain, and instead thought I was back at Haverford. On the other hand, it also made me realize how much I miss home. When I say "home", I mean mutiple things. I miss my actual home in Andover and my family and friends there. I also miss Haverford and everyone there. I miss the United States. I can't wait to be back with everyone I love, speaking English and eating bagels. When Grace left today, I felt sad. Sad that my friend was gone, but also sad that my link to home was gone. I feel extra homesick today.

However, Grace's visit made me see Seville in a whole new light. When I first got here, I was enchanted with the city. Over the past few months, I have become increasingly frustrated with Seville and have started to take this beautiful place for granted. I see the Giralda every day, so it is no longer special. But when Grace came and everything for the first time, it reminded me how lucky I am to be here. Grace kept exclaiming "I can't believe this is your life!" I guess it is crazy to think that I currently live in such a beautiful city where my days are filled with sunshine. I have a wonderful host mom and roommate, and from my apartment I can walk anywhere I need to go. Seville is incredibly cheap compared with Copenhagen, and I can afford to get drinks or eat out every week. The streets are filled with life, and there is always something to see and do. I think it took a fresh pair of eyes to help me see what has been in front of me this whole time. I have exactly a month left in Seville, and I want to take advantage of my time here. I know I will miss this place when I leave.