The excitement and uncertainty before leaving for a three-month study abroad trip to Spain was a lot to take in.
It was no surprise to run into anxious members of Citrus College’s and the American Institute for Foreign Study’s program a few seconds after walking into LAX.
One of the first faces was Erick Espinoza, 18, a business administration major, who was very excited to get the trip underway before leaving but had a little trouble navigating at the airport.
Confused from the check-in, Espinoza said it was “scary, ‘cause I didn’t know what to do. I got lost!”
Our destination was Seville. Located in the southern region of Spain, Seville is a cornerstone of the country and one of its proudest cities.
The Andalusian city has ancient foundations and a geographic history older than written records. The history of Seville is deeply influenced by the cultural exchange of its many people across the continent, connecting it to the rest of Europe.
The coexistence and often antagonistic dynamics between the Christians, Jews and Muslims that built the city can be seen on every street corner, storied building and even within the Spanish language.
This cultural epicenter was to be our home for the next three months.
As the seats began to fill in around our gate, the spring study abroad students gravitated towards familiar faces.
Morissette Claustro, 18, an undeclared major at Citrus College, was one of the 27 students who took a group flight instead of traveling to Spain herself.
“It hadn’t hit me yet that I was leaving the country whatsoever, and to go and live there for about three months,” Claustro said. “I’m gonna be honest with you. It didn’t hit me until probably my third night here.”
The flights to Seville had us traveling for almost an entire day with layovers in Houston, Texas and Madrid, Spain.
Arriving in Spain was a wake-up call that this trip was actually real.
“My mind was just like, ‘wow, so you’re really doing this, you’re really in Spain, you’re really immersing yourself in another country,’” Claustro said. “It was just a little shocking to me. I never thought I would ever step out of the country.”
By the time we arrived at our accommodations, most of the group was ready to sleep. The city and our AIFS sponsors had other plans.
After a thorough orientation, many of the students ended up christening their first night in Seville, an omen for what was to come during our time outside of class.
One of the greatest aids the study abroad group has at our disposable is the excellent AIFS staff and professors. No question is left unanswered by them, and any problems the students have are dealt with quickly.
AIFS program coordinator for Seville, Eduardo Padial, 34, understands students’ needs and concerns as a previous study abroad student himself.
“I am a person that really loves to work, and my main goal is to get everything perfect for you guys, for the student, for the company,” Padial said.
AIFS is a worldwide organization started in 1964 that manages spring, summer and fall study abroad programs in Seville.
According to Citrus’ study abroad specialist John Morris, the school has been partnered with AIFS since the fall semester of 1989. This year will mark the 30th anniversary of the partnership.
Alongside Rita Gil-Navarro and two AIFS liaisons from the UK, Padial welcomed our 56-person group with open arms and an assurance they would always be ready to help.
Together with Citrus College and Enforex, the school where we would later study together, AIFS has organized a spring semester program where the student’s every need is accommodated.
Continuing on into the next week, an exciting energy remained stalwart among everyone.
For Espinoza, one of the stand out experiences of his first week has been the food.
“The food here is amazing,” he said. “It’s amazing. If you ever visit Spain again, you just get food everywhere.”
The study abroad students have filled their days with studying and exploring the city, the food and drink, culture and landmarks leading their every footstep.
Many students relate that even though it has only been a week, it feels as if they have been here a month.
“The best thing, at the beginning, is when they meet new friends, you know, it’s something that maybe they didn’t expect,” Padial said. “New friends and new places and they really love, because Seville is a beautiful city.”
There has been a few problems. Five of our classmates had a legitimate emergency when they overloaded an elevator and got it stuck.
Sara James, 23, a communications major at Citrus College, was one of the five girls that got stuck for around 35 minutes.
“At first I was like, ‘oh this is weird,’ and then I felt very concerned,” James said. “It was a little panicky.”
After getting in touch with the AIFS crews’ emergency contact number, the girls were out, though a little shaken.
“I don’t know what they did,” James said. “I just know when we got out, Rita and Edu had both shown up.”
All in all, the spring study abroad crew are shaping up to be a great and trouble-free class with everyone looking out for one another both in-class and in the city.
Claustro is one of the many students who has been enjoying the group’s company.
“Honestly, a good chunk of this group that I’ve talked to so far are probably one of the most amazing and greatest people I’ve ever met with the most interesting backgrounds and stories to them,” she said. “It so funny seeing that so many people go to the same college as me.”
Others, like Espinoza, had similar experiences.
“They’re all unique, they’re all different,” Espinoza said. “They all have a lot of different backgrounds, ethnicities, different stories. We all have different opinions, and I think those opinions glue us together.”
