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Meaningful Connections Made While in Spain

For a long, long time before coming to Sevilla, I was a bit terrified of the prospect of not knowing anyone when I came here. I was the only one...

How to Stay Healthy and Active while Studying Abroad: Tips from a Student Athlete

Known for its diverse tapas and welcoming cafés lining every street, Sevilla is an authentic Spanish gastronomical wonderland. The city’s beautiful architecture and unique neighborhoods have captured the hearts and...

Meaningful Friendships Made While in Spain

Before coming to Spain from the United States, I prayed that the Lord would open doors of opportunities for me to form meaningful, genuine connections with people while in Sevilla....

The Value of Exploring Local Churches in Sevilla

From quaint restaurants, bustling cafés, to deafening discotecas, Sevilla’s vibrant street life is part of what makes the city so unique and welcoming. Not only does the city offer many...

Anna’s Story: History, Spanish and Life in Spain

As time drew near for my departure to Sevilla, España, I was very nervous. I had begun taking Spanish classes eight years prior, but I had no idea what...

Pack for Your Semester in Spain : Suggestions from a Student

Hello! I’m Reba Brownell. I’m currently on week twelve of my semester abroad experience in Sevilla. I do not feel ready to leave yet, so I am so thankful that...

Attending the Misa del Peregrino

When I signed up to write a blog post on my experience with a local church, I assumed I would share what it was like to go to Sunday service...

Holy Toledo!

It seemed as though 46 young Americans on a charter-bus five hours to Toledo, Spain, was a bad idea. No pasa nada. Right? However, this just so happened to be...

Acclimating to Life in Sevilla

Sevilla is a great homebase for travel. You can spend your weekends exploring different cities in Spain (I recommend Granada) or even touring other countries (it’s really easy to visit...

May Your Travels Be Light and Your Journeys Smooth By Bailie Salcido (Spring 2014)

I studied abroad with Semester in Spain during the spring of 2014. Five years later, I had the incredible privilege of returning to Sevilla to serve as the Student Ministries...

Traveling in Europe on a Budget

Spain is extremely accessible to Europe and a very affordable country to travel in. So, while living abroad, it’s important to take advantage of this and travel! There are endless...

Iglesias en Sevilla

¿Quieres involucrarte en una iglesia evangélica/protestante en Sevilla? Te ofrecemos una lista de opciones populares. Oasis International Church Dirección: Numero 1, Av. de Mairena, 13, 41920 San Juan de...

Finding my “Fit” in Sevilla by Katie Wiggins-Gawlik (Fall 2009)

There is a song that many students become familiar with while studying with Semester in Spain: “Sevilla tiene un color especial” by Los Del Rio. Not only does the Student...

Top 5 Gelato Spots in Sevilla

When it comes to exploring the vibrant city of Sevilla, you cannot miss out on the rich and delightful experience of savoring authentic Spanish gelato. In Spain, gelato, known as...

Recommended Tapas Places – By Ana Bello (SIS Housing Coordinator)

Wondering where to eat when you’re in Spain? See our read Sevillian Housing Coordinator’s suggestion! SUGERENCIAS: BARES PARA TAPEAR EN SEVILLA ZONA CENTRO El Rinconcillo Calle Gerona, 40 Espinacas (spinach with...

International Living

My name is Rachel Larson (Miller when I was a student with SIS) and I am now pursuing international opportunities! I studied with SIS in the summer of 2019 (I...

Palabras de España by Monica Zevenbergen (Fall 2016)

Tapas. Flamenco. Playa. Siesta. These are just a few of the many words that were on my mind as I prepared for my semester abroad in Spain. In the fall...

What Makes Excursion Days Special?

Excursion days would start very early in the morning. Too early, almost, but it was always worth it. I remember one excursion day in March, to Zahara de la Sierra...

Dietary Restrictions in Spain (Part 2) – Olivia Morris (SIS Staff)

The following recommendations are based on a gluten and dairy free diet. Click here to read Part 1. Restaurantes (Traditional Spanish cuisine): Victoria 8 (C. Victoria, 8, 41010 Sevilla, Spain)...

Dietary Restrictions in Spain (Part 1) – Olivia Morris (SIS Staff)

As an individual who is allergic to gluten and dairy, as well as someone who has had numerous bad food experiences internationally, the thought of being able to safely...

Investing in Sevilla by Hannah McAdams (Spring 2022 Alumna)

I am not exaggerating when I say that going to Sevilla, Spain in Spring 2022 was the best experience of my life. I know it sounds super dramatic but let...

Finding my “Fit” in Sevilla by Katie Wiggins-Gawlik (Fall 2009)

There is a song that many students become familiar with while studying with Semester in Spain: “Sevilla tiene un color especial” by Los Del Rio. Not only does the Student...

Top 5 Gelato Spots in Sevilla by Emma-Kate Moore (Fall 2023, Taylor University)

When it comes to exploring the vibrant city of Seville, you cannot miss out on the rich and delightful experience of savoring authentic Spanish gelato. In Spain, gelato, known as...

Bailando Bajo Las Setas

What was your most rewarding experience/moment in Spain? One of the most rewarding and honestly influential moments from my time in Sevilla is when we gathered as a school to...

¿Cómo se dice, um, um…err, uh…?

¡Hola a todos! So I’m here to share a few things about my first week here in Sevilla, Spain. Warning, if you see these three dots, “. . .” it’s...

El Roi, ‘The God Who Sees Me’

When people ask me, “how’s Spain?!?”, I find myself not really knowing what to say. You know those plastic ball pits you find in kiddie jungle gyms/human hamster cages? That...

Community Learning and Fellowship: How I Engaged in Another Culture Abroad

Hi! My name is Brooke Brodeur and I’m a junior from Taylor University studying Spanish education, TESOL, and intercultural studies and missions. I’ve dreamt of coming to Spain since I...

Sevilla: Ciudad Llena de Creatividad

As I reflect on my dearest memories in Sevilla, Spain so far – the ones that make my heart smile – I have come to realize the mark of a...

El Estilo de Vida en Sevilla!

The semester has only just begun but I am already enchanted by the lifestyle that I’ve experienced so far in Sevilla, so I wanted to share some of my favorite...

Sink or Swim?

Deluge is one of my favorite words in the English language. “A severe flood; a heavy fall of rain; a great quantity of something arriving at the same time; to...

It’s the Little Things that Make a Big Difference

Before I left to study abroad, my study abroad program warned me about the big differences from America culture I was going to find here in Spain: things like food,...

El Camino de Santiago

To try and pin down what my most rewarding experience has been here in Spain would be difficult especially after only having passed the halfway point. Living in Sevilla and...

I Deserve a Place Where my Shell can be Broken

“Don’t be surprised or stare if you see gay couples walking around.” One of the warnings the program sees necessary to tell students coming from various private Christian colleges across...

Traveling Vertically

I can never get enough of traveling. I’ve visited over thirty U.S. states and seven foreign countries, doing everything from missions work to singing in a choir to simple tourism....

Fútbol Español Durante la Pandemia

As we all know, everything has taken a hit during this pandemic. Sports were no exception. Hang out with Salva on June 5th at 12pm CST to learn how the...

Música Española Durante la Pandemia

Spanish artists have come together during the pandemic to collaborate on musical pieces to support and encourage one another. Join us Saturday, May 1st, at 12:00pm CST to learn from...

Every Little Second

When I look back on my time in Spain, there are so many memories to share: exploring Sevilla through five days of rain, spending a weekend in Portugal, doing homework...

Watching Water Boil

Being abroad as the coronavirus started to become more serious felt like watching water boil; it happened slowly and then all at once. I remember hearing that a new...

BE KNOWN

In the spring of 2014 I had the immense privilege to study abroad in Seville, Spain (or more affectionately known to me in its native tongue as Sevilla). This would...

The Bittersweet End

Being sent home from our grand adventure abroad was incredibly sad news. “Sad” is such a simple word, but it seemed to be the only one I could use to...

You are the BEST

If you’ve ever taken Flamenco lessons with Sylvia, you’ve heard her proclaim, “You are the BEST!” It’s an encouraging reminder that you are incredible whether you fail to curve your...

Checking off my Bucket List with SIS

I can finally say I’ve been to a beach after a 4-day trip to Lagos, Portugal! By the way, hello everyone! I’m Nay Mi Chele-Rhengboi and I’m studying public relations...

Let’s Talk Homesickness

The hardest part of being abroad is also the greatest blessing. It can be summed up in a single word: people. Okay, I know that’s vague. Don’t worry – I’ve...

Spain Has My Heart

FIVE WEEKS OF CLASSES IN THE BOOKS! Somehow, I have managed to squeeze in trips to Gibraltar, Córdoba, Toledo, Madrid, and Cádiz…wow. So is this life as an SIS student?...

4pm Sevilla-Bound Bus, Seat 37.

Hey y’all! My name is Sarah Balkcom and I am from Memphis, TN. I study Biology, Spanish and Chemistry at Asbury University. For me, these past 3 weeks have been...

Reflections : On A Semester in Spain

Greetings! My name is Averee Gumm and this week I have been pondering the many things I have learned on this journey, and I want to provide a bit of...

Life inside a Bob Ross Painting

Before studying abroad, the first things that came to mind when I thought about Spain were cobblestone streets, architecture, bullfighting, and churros. I have thoroughly enjoyed many afternoons spent wandering...

Extending the Family

One day at the beginning of the semester I was at Encuentro (a small program after school on Wednesdays where the students of my program get together to worship) when...

Coming Home

It’s really hard to believe that we are more than halfway through the semester. As I get older, time seems to fly faster and faster. It seems like yesterday that I...

Uncomfortably, Comfortable

A common phrase I hear when talking with people from TCCSevilla is how “I am uncomfortable, I was uncomfortable, this is going to be uncomfortable, etc.” even I have said...

Read our Fall 2019 Newsletter!

Check out our Fall 2019 Newsletter that highlights two of our students who have completed internships, two new team members, and one professor who attended CAWL!

On Language and Connection

The world is a lot bigger than we think it is. It’s also quite full of persons. And, yes, I meant to write “persons” instead of “people” because I think...

Six Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Studying Abroad:

Hello all! I’ve officially been in Spain for 77 days and in those 77 days I’ve learned a thing or two. Here are six things I wish I knew before...

On Spain, Siestas, & Slowing Down

One of the first things an American living in Spain must adjust to is an entirely different concept of time. Meals are later (lunch around 2 or 3 o’clock and...

It Feels Like Home

Since being in Sevilla, I have listened to the “Café con Leche” playlist on Spotify many times; it seems quite fitting considering the amount of café con leche I have...

Growth: Slow, Messy, & Beautiful

I have often been someone who tries to actively seek out opportunities for growth in my life. I also try to be conscious of stagnant seasons in my life where...

A Passion for Teaching English Abroad

As I am nearing my last year of college I have been asked recently a few times why I want to teach English abroad in different countries. I had been...

The Final Week of the First Term

These last couple days have been filled with preparing for final exams and finishing projects for my classes, and it has honestly been really nice to slow down and take...

A Look at Week Two

Today is Sunday, May twenty-seven, and I just emerged from my second week in Spain. Wow! It went by really quickly, but at the same time, it crawled by at...

Week One: Two Indispensable Spanish Phrases

When I started planning for Sevilla, the thing I worried about most was getting there. Flying internationally, having a layover in a Spanish airport, keeping track of my checked...

Semana Santa Afuera de Sevilla

If you don’t like crowds, then Sevilla during Semana Santa is not the place for you. People come from all over to witness the extravaganza of the hundreds of people...

Wonder Anew

At the beginning of the semester I was sitting on the rooftop of TCC school here in Sevilla, Spain wondering what God had in store for me. The morning air...

Spain and Cultural Diversity

So far during my time here in Spain, I have learned a lot about the value of cultural diversity. The instant change of attitude about schedules, socializing, and style were...

Flipping the Switch

You would think that writing a blog post in my native language would be relatively simple, right? Or that with just over two months of my summer...

My Travels While Abroad

Traveling around and outside of Spain has been a dream. In my first few weeks, I have had the privilege of visiting the cities of Ronda and Santiponce in Spain...

Ronda

Welcome to Ronda, a little piece of heaven. Our whole group took a bus to get there (about 2 hours away). We did a lot of walking around to see...

¿Vale? Venga. ¡Vamos!

Vale. Venga. Vamos. My roommate and I half-kidded throughout the semester that all you need to know in Spanish are these 3 words. But we were also kind of serious...

Sevillanas with the TCCSevilla Staff

Check out this clip of Professor Carmen Suarez dancing Sevillanas during a class break! ~Megan LaRusso; Summer 2015

Kayaking in Sevilla

Like most students, I lived in the neighborhood of Triana during my semester in Sevilla. Every day I walked over the Rio Guadalquivir on my way to school and saw...

Spain, Seville. Spain Square, a landmark. Spanish architecture

The World in Spain

It has been a week and a half since I returned home from my adventure across the ocean. I will say I was glad to come home, and even more...

What a Day!

In this post, you’ll learn a little Spanish. See the bottom for help with the italicized words. What a blessing today was. Usually I won’t post every day, but today...

Reflecting on Convenience and Comfort

A couple days ago I went to Encuentro, which is the youth group like meeting that my study abroad program does each week. We met outside in the Parque de...

La Tercera Semana

Zooming in on my past week, I was able to do, see and try many new things. I think one of my favorite things that will happen each week is...

Sevilla – Like a Dream

Last spring break I went to Disney world with my best friend. I had never been there before and didn’t know what to expect and Kelsie was so excited to...

Don’t Let the Extraordinary Become Ordinary

Extraordinary: exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable This past weekend a few friends and I decided to pack a picnic lunch and head to some Roman ruins outside...

My Experience with Acción Solidaria

An awesome thing that I’m excited about here is my Acción Solidaria (Service-Learning). I’m working with a program called Solidarios: Personas Sin Hogar (People without homes). I get to go...

Wait… It’s Already Been a Month?

A recent blog entry from a beginner student on Semester in Spain who is studying Theology at Trinity Christian College. So classes started, and for the first few weeks we...

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

1. El Helado We all learned about helado in our freshman year Spanish courses. Helado is ice cream, right? Wrong. Helado is so much more than that. Helado is life....

8 Cultural Adjustments I Wasn’t Expecting So Quickly

Yesterday my host mom sat my roommate and I down and asked us if we realized we had been here for 2 weeks or not and then wanted to know...

Tired Feet, Happy Heart

I know the title is a bit cheesy but it really captures the essence of my week. (On a side note, please forgive my spelling because my spellcheck is stuck...

The First Few Days

I still have a hard time believing that I am actually here. The last few days have been a bit overwhelming but a lot of fun. The flight from Chicago...

Lessons Learned

Lesson #1- Take the Plunge The first day that I arrived in Spain, I was dropped off at Gym Galisport, a local fitness center in Triana. About 20 minutes later,...

Pay de Manzana

I’ve been thinking. I made a pie today. Apple pie, with caramel crumble topping, and a shortbread crust. Thinking about the one month anniversary of leaving didn’t inspire me to...

There and Back Again

I’m home. I’ve been home since Thursday, May 8th. Words cannot describe how good it feels to be back, and neither can they describe the experience I just returned from....

Carmela

In Sevilla I have a family. It is compiled of the friends I have made, the students and the professors from the school, the waiters and waitresses in the restaurants...

Flashmob

One added bonus of my trip to Spain was participating in a FLASHMOB! For anyone that doesn’t know, a flashmob consists of organized singing or dancing, that appears to be...

March in Andalusia Is Fantastic

It’s 80 degrees and sunny today! I just had another flamenco dancing class – well, technically sevillanas, which is a bit more specific -which was really fun. This past weekend...

From El Greco to the Gecko

Last weekend, I ventured to Toledo and Madrid. Toledo is small and rambling; just a little, medieval town selling knives, swords and jewelry in every little shop. Gollum marionettes hang...

Italica

Not seven kilometers from Sevilla are the ruins of Italica, a Roman town. For just a 1.55 euro ticket both ways, you can catch a bus and pay the 2...

Con Ritmo

This is supposed to be a semester of studying abroad, STUDYING. Yeah, that’s a key word. Have I been studying? Of course. What I mean to initiate, is the thought...

The Second Week

This week we had our first Encuentro which is a night of worship organized by the students in my school. We have two teams in which I am a part...

My First Week

Some things about Sevilla: IT IS BEAUTIFUL. There’s a river (I cross one of the bridges every day to get to school). The buildings are old, ornate, and colorful. There...

El Amor de Comida

(photo by fellow student Jordan Wilmes) Una frase que yo he aprendido va “panza llena, corazón contenta.” Creo que esta frase va estar una que voy a repetir mucho porque...

Serene Semana

For anyone who has ever missed a night’s sleep, my heart truly goes out to them. I’ve been fortunate enough during my time in Spain to have accomplished many feats...

La Vida Sevillana

It has a nice ring to it, wouldn’t you say? After spending almost three weeks in Sevilla, I thought it might be time to share some of my daily life...

La Mejor Identidad

Here is a bit of insight on one of the things I’ve been learning most about during this semester abroad….and that is, the idea of “identity.” Before leaving for my...

School Outings

Every day I am here, I am more impressed with the Semester in Spain program. Today in my literature class we walked the streets of Sevilla and read a story...

El Sabor de Sevilla

I Love Rosa I woke up this morning….afternoon…in a hurry because Rosa wanted to go out for lunch! For anyone who knows me at all, you know this is my...

It’s like Riding a Bike

A few things about Sevici…. Okay so here’s the deal. Sevilla has a fantastic bike system that’s super convenient and really fun…but it also has its challenges. This is for...

First Impressions

Here I am in Sevilla, and it is more than I could have ever imagined it to be! So much has happened so far, so I’ll start at the beginning.....

FLAMENCO!

When I was first looking at doing the Semester in Spain program I noticed the pictures of the girls in traditional flamenco dresses with their hair and makeup done and...

Once-in-a-lifetime Experiences

Semester in Spain is definitely one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This is a semester where students like me can come and be immersed in a completely different culture. We come...

España: From the view of a “Principiante”

I am the kind of person that needs busyness, organization, and preparation to succeed. I am the kind of person who holds down some sort of job, runs for her...

One Week

Wednesday the 7th of September marked exactly seven days since we first arrived in Sevilla. When my friends and I realized that little fact yesterday, we couldn’t really believe it....

Five Buildings and Five Experiences

4835 – The number of miles I would be from my hometown in Michigan while in Sevilla, Spain, where I would be studying for four months. Zero – The number...

A Semester of First Times

The joy that a person feels when they do something for the first time is hard to describe, but it is a...

Tales from Toledo

Toledo. Two days. One city. Many swords. If I could think of one word to describe my experience in Toledo, it would definitely be: unexpected. Don’t get me wrong, I...

The Life of a Señora

When I grow up, I wouldn’t mind to have the life of my señora. Every morning she gets up and neatly sets out our breakfast of crackers, peanut butter...

Meaningful Connections Made While in Spain

April 15, 2025

For a long, long time before coming to Sevilla, I was a bit terrified of the prospect of not knowing anyone when I came here.

How to Stay Healthy and Active while Studying Abroad: Tips from a Student Athlete

March 28, 2025

Known for its diverse tapas and welcoming cafés lining every street, Sevilla is an authentic Spanish gastronomical wonderland. The city’s beautiful architecture and unique neighborhoods

Meaningful Friendships Made While in Spain

March 6, 2025

Before coming to Spain from the United States, I prayed that the Lord would open doors of opportunities for me to form meaningful, genuine connections

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