Column by Bryan Kennedy

In the past I have written articles of a very opinionated nature. But this article is one that is much different. For the next three months I will be studying abroad in Seville, Spain.

About once a month I will be sending in an article to the Kernel to tell everyone about my experience and what it’s like to be many hours and thousands of miles away from the U.S.

Getting to Spain wasn’t the easiest road. Needless to say, I hit some speed bumps along the way.

Nevertheless, after stacks of paperwork, nervous phone calls to program directors and a near empty bank account, I’m here.

After spending about two-and-a-half weeks in Spain it’s hard to articulate my time here, but I will try to do my best.

If I told you I was having the time of my life, I think I would still be selling you short and not fully explaining what this experience is like. I had never been able to go out of the country. I’ve only traveled out of Kentucky a small number of times. So this trip was quite the leap for me and it has been, without a doubt, the best decision of my life.

My journey began on Sept. 19..  I flew out of Bluegrass Airport at 6:40 a.m. After a two-hour flight, I had an eight-hour layover in Dallas before I boarded a 13-hour overnight flight to Madrid. This was only my second time in an airport and my first time on a plane, but obviously I got broken in pretty quickly.

I left Dallas late that afternoon and finally arrived in Madrid mid-morning on Sunday. From the time I left the airport in Madrid, I’ve been having an unbelievable time.

The first place we visited was the National Art Museum of Madrid. I’ve never been an artsy person, but up until this day that museum has been my favorite place that we have visited. The museum housed several pieces of work from artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. It’s such an experience to see famous paintings like “Guernica” and “The Dream” up close and personal. Being so close to these paintings really gives you an idea of what the artist was thinking and why their paintings are a certain way.

Since the trip to the museum I have toured numerous cities including Toledo, Granada and Cordoba, visiting old cathedrals, churches and smaller towns within the cities. Aside from these visits, a small group of new friends and I spent a day at the beach. Although the constant touring and traveling can get tiring, the sites are still unbelievable and I’m still amazed at the sites I see everyday.

Before I left the states, many people talked about how I would experience culture shock. I had no idea what that meant, but now I know exactly what it means. To me it’s hard to explain, but in Spain things are simply done differently.

People aren’t stuck in the everyday hustle and bustle of work like they do in the U.S. Here people literally take three hours out of the day and take time to simply stop and smell the flowers. Everyday from 2 to 5 p.m., people in Spain take a “siesta,” a country-wide nap time. Anyone who knows me knows I would take full advantage of this.

Shops close, businesses shut down, schools stop classes and altogether the city simply takes a break. Honestly, I have no idea why the states have yet to adopt this observance. Siesta’s are definitely one of the things I have grown to love about this country.

Overall, I’m having a wonderful time. I love my host family and my roommate. I continue to meet people from all over the world. I’ve had conversations on the beach with people from Germany, Holland and Estonia, and at bars with Americans from Texas, California, Washington and Denver.

My perception of the world continues to grow and my experience can only get better from here. Although I didn’t want to say it before, I am having the time of my life. Everyday I cherish every minute that I’m here.

I feel it’s my job to tell you of the experience that I’m having so that you all can live vicariously through me. I miss everyone back home, especially, my family, fraternity brothers and friends. I hope all is well and continues to be so. Until next time, good luck to everyone taking midterms. Hasta luego!