Are you thinking about studying abroad in another country? Are you hoping to get an immersive experience and get the most out of every possible moment?? Are you curious about what it’s REALLY like to live where you’re planning on studying abroad??? If you thought, “Yeah, that’s totally me!” to any of those questions, then be sure to stick around!
This spring, I’m studying abroad with ISA in Sevilla, Spain, at the University of Sevilla—but the following concepts can be applied to any location where you are studying abroad, or anywhere you go in the hopes of a fulfilling trip! Without further ado, here is a list of some of my best tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind in order to discover more about the TRUE daily lives locals lead in your city.
1. Be mobile
First things first, you have to be able to travel around within your city! Take into account all of the different ways to get around.
Sevilla’s streets might look a bit different than what you’re used to. Here, people put a wide variety of modes of transportation to good use: cars, cabs, motorcycles, mopeds, buses, metros, bikes, scooters, skateboards, rollerblades…and a surprisingly high number of horse-drawn carriages on the roads! See what’s popular in your specific area.
Sevilla has a wonderful system of bike lanes and rent-a-bike systems to help get you to where you need to go. Lime and Sevici are two great and affordable options for self-service bike rentals, with racks spread around the city where you can pick up or drop off a quick bike rental at your convenience.
Otherwise, walking is incredibly popular, and you’ll fit right in with the sevillanos. So be sure to bring a solid pair of sneakers and challenge your friends to see who can get the most steps!
2. Think about where to live
If you’re serious about getting the best, unfiltered, and niche insider info, I highly recommend you opt for a homestay! Host families know the ins and outs of your city, the best places to visit, and offer immersive language experiences.
In my host family, I live with another ISA student (in our own rooms!), our amazing host mom Maria, and her very cute dog Rocky. We get to have authentic local cuisine every day with lots of fresh Sevilla style bread. The other day, our very talented host mom even taught us her recipe for a foolproof tortilla española!
Homestays give you a real home in your city, and you’ll be living just like a local. It’s a foolproof way to get closer to the truth of daily life in the city.
ISA also has a residence hall that we call the residencia next to its study center, which is right around the corner from the Plaza de España and the University of Sevilla. Lots of our friends live there as well, and it is a stunning building with a built-in way to make new travel buddies!
If you live there or in your own apartment, shopping for groceries will also help you to see what people in your area typically cook with and the different popular brands and items. It can even motivate you to go out on the town more to experience the culture. Then, you can also research neighborhoods in the same way a local would.
3. Stop and smell the roses
Taking detours, breaks, and allowing yourself time to take in all the new information is key to enjoying your time abroad and getting the real sense of living in your location.
For example, I had a long break today between my classes, so I brought my lunch to the Plaza de España where I wandered, watched birds, listened to the fountain, and snapped pics in the Parque Maria Luisa. It’s times like these when you can really live in the moment of your life in your new environment!
Stopping and getting a good view of everything is also great when you’re in a historical city like Sevilla. So many buildings that I pass daily include incredible monuments, statues, or ancient architecture dating back centuries! Remembering the history of your city helps contextualize who the people are currently, too. Sevilla is also famous for its many, many orange trees.
During these slower moments, I’m also sure to add the songs I hear in restaurants to my playlists, glance at menu boards posted on street corners for new food endeavors, and notice all of the unique species of flora and fauna Spain has to offer (of course including the many dogs being walked or friendly neighborhood street cats!).
4. Look for artistry everywhere
Art is a universal language and exists no matter where you go! I highly recommend looking into what art is pertinent to your city and experiencing it firsthand.
We had the pleasure of seeing a show-stopping flamenco performance at the Museo del Baile Flamenco with ISA, and I’ve also gone to the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, or CAAC, with a few friends to peruse the incredible gallery and hear some jams at the free music festival they hosted outside. Buskers are also wildly talented and make for a great cultural pit stop!
The University of Sevilla is also home to an impressive collection of statues displayed in the halls for their exhibit “Gipsoteca.” It’s so cool to walk through these amazing sculptures while simply on the way to class! It’s open to the public, so you can stop by even if you don’t attend the university. It’s also already a beautiful building overall.
One of my most favorite things to do when I travel is follow the graffiti closely as we unlock new areas of the city; you’ll start to notice curious recurring characters like ‘SANTO,’ ‘GUANTE,’ ‘KEMA,’ or ‘SK1.’ The work of graffiti artists show where real sevillanos frequent regularly, and other popular phrases or motifs represented in art that’s publicly accessible!
5. Learn about the language
Even if you’re brand new to the native language in your city, don’t be shy; it’s a worthy endeavor to get the hang of some basics!
This doesn’t just mean “Yes, please.” and “Where’s the bathroom?” but also gaining an understanding of the local accent and commonly used slang. Knowing these colloquial words will sometimes get you even farther if you are trying to connect with another person– it shows the effort and the open acceptance of their culture, and then you’ll really be speaking to that person in their language. They always light up when they hear you say “dude” or “Let’s go!” in the same way they do.
In Sevilla, you’ll hear “No, ni, ná!” to exclaim something as definitively untrue, or “Me voy pitando!” to say “I’m in a hurry!”
Tamara from ISA also was sure to let us all know about all of the awesome language exchange opportunities at the University of Sevilla! We’ll be able to learn a lot and make friends with native speakers and Spanish students through an intercambio program. I’m so excited!
I also decided to participate in the two-week Spanish intensive here before starting at the university. It was a great way to adjust to the culture of the city, immediately meet new friends, and brush up on language skills before heading to our semester-long classes! I’d definitely recommend looking into similar opportunities for your city.
6. Be a sponge!
Overall, do your best to soak up even the smallest of moments during your travels! Embrace slow long walks through winding roads, make connections through time spent with new international classmates, and ask the locals all the questions you can think up while you explore.
Just do your best and bring an open mind! If you can utilize even just some of these ideas while you are studying abroad, you can drastically enrich the depth of your understanding of your city abroad and live more like a local.
Rebekah Roth is a student at Wheaton College Massachusetts and an ISA Featured Photo Blogger. She is studying with ISA in Seville, Spain.