The last 5 months of life have been absolutely insane, and more fun than I realized was even possible!

I decided to study abroad in Sevilla, España, which is the 4th largest city in Spain, and is located in Andalucia, the south of the country. I went with an outside program called Academic Programs International, and deciding to study there turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. I immediately fell in love with the city, the country, and the culture of Spain.

I lived in a residencia, so there were 12 of us study abroad kids living with an awesome host mom (Mama Rosa) and family who cooked us lunch and dinner, and even did our laundry! We ate tapas, went to fantastic flamenco shows and saw breathtaking (somewhat disturbing) bullfights. I went to fiestas every night that lasted till 6am, and, in typical Spanish fashion, took siestas (naps) in the afternoons the next day to recover.

Before I got to Spain, I was in India with my dad for 3 weeks, which was a wild trip, and really opened my eyes and changed my perspective on a lot of things. Our program took us to Morocco, which was an amazing experience, as we danced to Shakira’s Waka Waka in Africa, climbed the Atlas Mountains, and haggled in Marrakesh’s famous markets. We took a trip to Italy, and climbed Mount Vesuvius, visited the ruins at Pompeii and Herculean, and ate pizza at the best pizza place in the world! We took a crazy Eurotrip that took us to Oslo, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Paris, visited friends in Barcelona, and went to the picturesque beach paradise that was Lagos, Portugal. Finally, we stopped off in London, England to visit family on my way home.

All in all, it was an unbelievable experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world. We had classes two days a week, our classes were pass/fail, and passing in Spain was a 50%. Despite that, I believe I learned more about people, the world, and myself than can be measured by tests and grades.

I visited 3 continents and 10 countries over the past few months but wherever we went, I couldn’t wait to get home to Sunny Sevilla! It’s my favorite city in the world, and would highly recommend visiting at some point.

If you have the opportunity, I would highly recommend looking into studying abroad. As for me personally, it was a life changing experience. Whether it be for a semester, or even for a short term winter or summer program with QUEST, it will be an experience you will look back on and remember forever!

Sahil at Feria in Sevilla with women dressed in Sevillana (typical dance of Feria based off Flamenco) dresses.