What's this all about?

My name is Olivia and I am a student of Indiana University. I have lived in Indiana my entire life. Also, I can count the amount of times I have ventured outside of the U.S. on one hand. Even more unfortunate, I would say that these endeavors outside of the U.S. can be boiled down to nothing more than a van ride to the all inclusive resorts and cruise ships that I have seen the world through. Thankfully, my view of the world is about to change. I will be studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain next semester and I have created this blog for all my family and friends to share in my experiences while I am living in Spain. I hope that you are able to authentically take part in my journey throughout Spain during this next semester!



August 25, 2014

CIEE Liberal Arts Seville
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My Host Family

Well, today is the day that I have been looking forward to and dreading all at the same time. I received my host family assignment today! Although the only information I have about them is an email with their address and residents of the household, I already feel more relieved. This part of the program is said to always be the most anxiety-causing part. I am so glad that I have a place to live for the next four months. I believe that it takes a special kind of person to pack your life into two moderately sized suitcases, fly across an ocean for 8 hours, and learn to adapt and live in a brand new culture half-way across the world. However, I believe these host families are even special than the students they offer housing to.

Offering your house, home, food, and culture to someone who does not speak your native language and whom you've never met before is something that I am not sure I could willingly do. I am so grateful that mi mama nueva, Pilar Gallego Peréz, and her daughter are opening up their home to my new roommate and I. From all the reading that I have been doing, some provided by my program of study, CIEE, and some I have located on my own, has given me somewhat of an insight as to what I should expect from my host family.

From what I know, so far, there are two possible scenarios that I should expect when choosing to live with a host family...

  1. My host family may perceive me as just a student who will be paying for a place to live, eat, and sleep during their time abroad. Basically, my label would be a foreign renter.
  2. Or.... the alternate situation would be that I am a student who has chosen to adopt an entirely new language and culture and live with a family that I have never met before. This alternative would be the classic señora situation, identified by my being their adopted American daughter in which they give as much love to me as another family member.
I think it's safe to say that I would prefer the latter scenario. This is all the information that I have about my host family for now. And so the countdown begins.. six days from now I will be packing up my life and flying across the Big Pond to create a new home in Sevilla Spain. If you want to see where I will be living for the next 4 months, check out this Google Earth view of my new home!

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