Greatings from Sevilla!

I have been in Europe now for about a month and a half, and it has been so much fun! Getting here was a challenge, since I chose to fly in and out of Dublin, even though my final destination was Spain. Ash cloud, you ask? Surprisingly, I didn't have any issue with the ash cloud, but instead with flights being cancelled over wind-shear in Houston. It took 2 extra days to get on a flight, but I finally made it to Dublin and began a two-and-a-half week whirlwind tour through Europe. Starting in Dublin, I then went to London, Prague, Karlsruhe (where a friend of mine lives), Munich, Berlin and Copenhagen. I spent a max of 3 days in each city, and, due to lost time because of the flight delay, a minimum of a day and a half. Still, each place I visited had some amazing things to enjoy! My favorites were the historic streets of Prague and then renting a bike and riding on the extensive bike-lane network of Copenhagen! A tip for anyone traveling to the more Northern parts of Europe during the summer--just because it's summer doesn't mean it won't be both cold and rainy! I learned the hard way that having a warm, water-proof jacket (or at the very least an umbrella) is vital to being able to enjoy the late-spring/early-summer months.

After the European tour, part I, I ended up in Sevilla. I've finished my first session of classes, during which I took a medical Spanish class and got to visit a local hospital. I'm doing a program with the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies which is only for American students, but we have contact with locals through "intercambios", people who take English classes at the center and want to get to know some American students. I absolutely love the city--it has the feel of an old city while still being metropolitan, as well as being home to the 2nd largest cathedral in all of Europe. Probably the best part about it is to get to be here during the World Cup! Nothing is quite like sitting in a pub with hundreds of locals when Spain wins a game. It's also very lucky that they are doing as well as they are-- they've made it to the quarter finals! Other than that, I've gone on several day or weekend trips around Spain, to Málaga, Córdoba, Doñana to ride horses on the beach, and then a long weekend trip to the Algarve coast of Portugal. I still have another month to go in Spain, then I'll be doing my European tour part II through France and Italy! I definitely recommend that anyone who studies abroad in Europe to plan some extra time into their schedule for travel. Each country, or even city, that I've visited has had a different feel that has been really cool to experience. So far, its been a great trip! I hope everyone back in Dallas and around the world is having as much fun as I am.