Megan Schulz is a student at Colorado State University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Megan will be studying abroad with ISA in Sevilla, Spain.
I have always been a breakfast kind of girl. Whether it is large bowls of cereal, home cooked breakfast, breakfast for dinner, or breakfast restaurants, I love it all. I could honestly live on breakfast foods for my whole life and be completely happy.
After arriving in Madrid, I learned that breakfasts in Spain are much smaller with less variety from day to day. I was told that Spanish breakfasts generally consist of toast and coffee, tea, or juice. Upon learning this, I was already missing my hearty American breakfast.
The first breakfast at my homestay was, sure enough, toast and juice. However, I love the toast. In my mind, I previously had pictured a flimsy slice of bread bought at a local grocery store in the U.S. Contrary to my previous misconception, the breakfast toast I eat every morning is a large and warm piece of bread. My host mom generally provides choices of butter, marmalade, olive oil, and hazelnut cocoa butter with the toast. Another different part of my breakfasts in Spain is enjoying a cup of coffee later in the morning. Around 11 am, I can find my way to a bar (where coffee can be purchased) and see many people meeting with friends to do the same. I love coffee, and the coffee here is delicious.
In addition, I am not missing eggs in my breakfast as they are a standard ingredient in many Spanish dishes. One dish is huevos rotos con patatas. This consists of eggs mixed in with potatoes, and can be eaten for lunch or dinner. Another typical dish is a Spanish tortilla, a meal made of eggs and potatoes that is similar to an American omelet.
What I have learned from Spanish breakfasts is to keep an open mind while in Sevilla. It’s so easy to fall into the bad habit of rejecting new and unfamiliar parts of a different culture. Instead of being quick to judge, I am working on embracing all of the cultural differences in order to learn as much as possible. I can leave my beloved American breakfasts behind because I am living in a different place, and I want to experience as much of the Spanish culture as I possibly can.