The Sound of Music: Salzburg, Austria

"The hills are alive with the sound of music...with songs they have sung for a thousand years..." Okay. I am going to try not to quote the entire movie. But I am totally writing about Salzburg while listening to the Sound of Music soundtrack. Salzburg, Austria, was the second leg in my post-study abroad trip...

Sevilla: la Feria de abril

If there is one time of year that defines the heart of Sevilla, Spain, it's la Feria de abril. This April festival, celebrated in various cities but most famously in Sevilla, originated in the 1800s as a livestock trade, with shared food and drink in true Spanish fashion. Since then, it has evolved into a week-long...

Cultural Fusion: Moorish Influence in Spain

  One of my professors at UPO describes Spain as an encrucijada, a crossroads where cultural influences from the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe collide. To me, one of the most interesting influences is that of the Islamic Conquest  (711-1492) of what is today Spain. This history actually inspired my senior thesis project, which examines the...

Odds and Ends

This weekend I took a break from traveling so I could enjoy spending time in my host city. There is so much to see in Sevilla, and I love discovering new things about my Spanish home every day. Here are a few of the fun, random, crazy, weird, exciting things I’ve encountered recently: Remember when...

Negro y blanco

The other day I stole a few hours for myself and returned to the Plaza de España with my journal and camera in tow. I’ve noticed that the Spanish walk much more slowly than Americans, so I tried to blend in and do the same. It was more difficult than I thought it would be....

A playlist for adventure

(Posting this a day late because airport Wi-fi is not exactly the best.) Well, I am finally off to Spain!  I am overwhelmed with excitement right now and have been riding this high since last night.  This morning I made a playlist feeding off of that high (because all major life events require music, yes?),...