Local Living

The best way to meet local people in a foreign country is to be open to conversations. Put down your phone, put on a smile and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes the locals even try to start conversations with you first. One time I was at a coffee shop and it was empty except for me. The woman working the cash register started asking me questions about the U.S. and made me feel so comfortable as I was struggling through my broken Spanish trying to answer. I felt confident enough to keep the conversation going and asked her about different pastries I hadn’t seen before. It was a very cool experience to have with someone.

I’ve also had interactions with locals from going into the same places all the time. There is one specific cafe (I know I go to a lot of cafes, don’t judge) near my school that I go to sometimes three times a day. A man that works there, and called me out about not understanding “a fuera” o “dentro,” started recognizing me after a while and would ask me questions about where I was from and if I liked Sevilla. He wouldn’t slow down either when he spoke so it was good practice trying to understand fast Spanish.
I think that cafe, called Dulce Trazo, became my favorite because of the conversations I have with the barista. On one hand, having a cafe to call my favorite in another country is great. But on the other I spend a lot of money on coffee and pastries! I try keeping a log of my spending habits and try to limit myself but sometimes a chocolate croissant looks too good to pass up. Other than food I also buy a lot of souvenirs for me and my family/friends. My favorite souvenir I bought was actually from Dulce Trazo. It’s a teacup with pink flowers on it that I bought for my mom because she collects tea cups and tea pots. To me it was a gift I knew she liked but also meant something to me as well. And when you find a gift like that a budget doesn’t seem too important anymore…