I didn't like all of the things I tried (especially the cuttlefish balls.. I don't know what sort of revelation I was expecting from that) but now at least I can tell my friends and family honestly that I took advantage of every opportunity I could get my hands on. Which, I am proud to say I have.
To my surprise, my greatest gain from trying all these things is the desire to try even more. I've already been inspired to plan a tour of Boston for my brother, who is a Freshman now at my college, Northeastern. Taking him to try new little restaurants in the city or go to free festivals, shows. Boston is about the same size as Sevilla and I can see a direct comparison between the amount of Boston I THOUGHT I knew Freshman year, to my knowledge of Sevilla now. In 4 months I just barely scratched the surface of historical Sevilla and I hope that knowing that kicks my ass into gear to start exploring Boston with aggression, since I have the time to do so.
I'm thinking about the first day I walked through el Centro, gazing in every direction against the blinding sun to soak up the sounds and smells and try not to get lost from the group. The sight of Calle Sierpes coming from el palacio reminded me of Level 1 in Aladdin for Sega Genesis. There aren't dryers so everyone hangs their towels and clothes outside.
I'm hoping that when I get back to the US I can still use my open eyes. The set of eyes that people use when they look at laundry hanging outside dusty streets and see beauty. I'm sure that I've walked past simple beauty like this in my hometown and taken it for granted. I probably do it 10 times a day. Traveling gives you that extra perspective that even Van Gogh and Ghandi only use 50% of the time. I hope that reading this and seeing this picture inspires you to take a little extra time the next time you're walking down a familiar street and appreciate your home the way I get to appreciate my temporary home, Sevilla.
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