FDOC

...yesterday was First Day Of Classes at the University of Sevilla. This is what I scribbled madly into a "note" on my iPhone before class started:

Right now I'm sitting on a bench, waiting for it to be 5:30 and for my first class to start. It's 5:11. I got here at 5. I'd much rather be early than late, but when I'm so early that there's no one around, I feel like I should be doing something else with my time. There's no internet and I didn't bring a book to read, so I'm just sitting here typing this. The way I feel reminds me of the fire drill story when I was in preschool. Apparently I asked my teachers at the ripe old age of 4: where are we going? How long will we be gone? What time are we coming back? I like to be in the know. When i step forward into territory that I can't be sure I'll land steadily on, I become so apprehensive. Today I had to take a bus for the first time to the high school I'm going to be volunteering at every Monday. There will be many more days like this one, but because this was the first one, and I didn't know what to expect, I feared it. I'm fearing this class now- a rapid fire teacher speaking native Andalucian tongue so fast I'll never keep up, an assignment that might have already been due the first day that I had no idea about, all Spanish students that have been studying dialectics for upwards of 3 years and know what the heck it's about, or the professor being mean or cold and not receptive to an American student. Who knows? These are all what-ifs, and I know that in 13 minutes (maybe, maybe not) the class will be under way and I'll forget my questions as I try to wrap my mind around the reality. Well here's what reality right now- I have to stop letting my heart beat faster and grow uneasy whenever I'm doing something I've never done before. It's inevitable, I'm going to do it. Why fear the moments leading up? The worst that can happen? Won't be the end of the world for sure. The best? I make a friend that will help me get through the semester. The professor is welcoming. The class is doable. Hey Maggie- try to not fear what might be bad, and if it is- you know how to deal, you've been there and done that before- and if its good, you'll have saved yourself from wasting so much negative energy and be more open to receiving what's out there for you.

...this is what I wrote BEFORE the class. The turnout? It actually was way too hard for me. The professor asked how many exchange students there were and of that minority of the class, what were our majors. Mine? Periodismo. Every single other person's? Hispanic Linguistics. This is a Hispanic Linguistics and Dialectics 3rd level course, mind you. I was beyond intimidated. She did talk too fast. I didn't understand what was to be expected of me. I hadn't yet looked at the course page that everyone else seemed to have already been familiar with. SO, after some major stressing and getting pissed at myself for screwing up my schedule to begin with I've come to a few conclusions.

1. I'm switching into a UNC class with all American students (attendance counts for more but the work will be more doable I think).
2. I'm done with being mad that my schedule is all over the place and has me running around the city all day. Just gonna put on my tennis shoes and get to walking.
3. I'm happy I went to the professor's office hours right away to express my concerns, so I can be proud of that and not feel like I didn't give it a shot.
4. I'm still gonna try to go on every trip I can manage and not stress about missing the UNC class. You're only abroad once.
5. I'm still taking 2 classes at the University of Sevilla so I will have opportunities to chat with the locals, and I still get to say this is my school:

                  One of the courtyard patios and the view from the street.

                           The front entrance and the gate right outside the front entrance.

Another view from a hallway, every one opens to some kind of patio outside; and one of the indoor hallways.

My phone can't really do it justice, but this building dates back to 1505 when it was a tobacco factory. If I were a Harry Potter fan, I'd tell my friends I went to Hogwarts. While I'm complaining about schedules, I do need to keep in mind its already February and everyone else has had rigorous schedules for a month. And I'm in Spain, where it was 70 degrees today and I read outside in a tanktop and ate fro-yo.