7 Days and Counting

I was reading the Lonely Planet guide to Andalusia (for those of you that are unfamiliar, Andalusia is the southern region of Spain where the CIEE program operates and where Cordoba resides). I thought, since my last posting was about the things I expect to miss while I'm gone, why not discuss those things I'm truly excited about? The Guide was only getting me more pumped up. So, in honor of my departure only being a week away,

The things I'm most excited for about living in Spain:

Being immersed in a Spanish-speaking country
This is also something I'm completely anxious about too, but the excitement definitely supersedes the anxiety. I've been "learning" Spanish off-and-on for the last 10 years and part of the reason I decided to do the CIEE program was so I could finally become fluent and make all those years worth something. I always knew becoming fluent would demand that necessary step of fully immersing myself in a Spanish-speaking country. Actually, the part that actually makes me the most anxious is the Castilian accent - I've grown up with and learned Latin American Spanish, so I somewhat feel like I'm stepping into a new language all together. Regardless, I'm excited!

Living with History
Growing up in Arizona, very little around me has been more than a few decades old. I'm excited to be walking on cobblestone streets and exploring centuries-old churches and passing through historical plazas that many generations have already explored.

Great food and wine
I doesn't get much better than dining on delicious tapas and regional wine with great friends and atmosphere. I haven't eaten pork in about 8 years but have resolved that once I'm in Spain, I'll so as the Spaniards do (which is to eat lots and lots of cured ham and sausage) and I'm super excited about this. Although I was kind of bummed I wasn't placed in Granada partly because of the free tapas with drinks (who wouldn't be excited at free food?! A great reason to want to be anywhere). There will be great fresh breads, creamy tangy cheeses, high-quality olive oil, roasted chestnuts on the streets, chocolate y churros for snacks. My mouth is watering!

Public Transportation and a Walking City
Neither Arizona or LA can pride themselves on being one of these, and I'm excited about being a short bus ride or walk away from work, the grocery, restaurants, friends. I expect my legs to get quite the workout!

Seasons!
Arizona has two seasons: hot and hell. I got a little more taste of the rumored four seasons in LA and even more in New Zealand. However, this will be the first time I will experience a full winter in a cold(er) place (aka, somewhere one actually has to wear layers and a jacket). Luckily, I've always had a fetish for coats and scarves despite living in the desert (call it wishful thinking) and I'm - mostly - prepared for the cool road ahead.

Meeting New People
Really, it's mostly why I do it. I love meeting people, especially when I travel (especially when I'm meting others that are also traveling). For some reason, these are the friendships I've valued the most. Although I'm not in close contact anymore with many of the people I met on my past journeys, I still hold them close in my heart and memories. I'm excited about adding to that collection!