From the USA to Sevilla: Our Students' Exciting Journey Begins!

Just last Sunday, our beloved students finally arrived here in Sevilla, tired but full of enthusiasm to start their amazing adventure in this beautiful city. But before we dive into their Spanish adventure, let's recount their journey from the United States to their newfound home!

First, we all had to make it to Newark, New Jersey to start our adventure. Thankfully, for most students, this consisted of a quick 40-minute drive from their homes, as many already lived in the area. However, some students came from as far as Wisconsin, Orlando, and even Michigan and Nebraska, in the case of our delightful chaperones (one of whom was me, so... I'm kind of biased!). Many of these drop-offs were filled with some tearful goodbyes, understandably, but behind the tears, we could see the glint of excitement on everyone's faces!

Once we got to our boarding gate (B62 – who can forget!), we all found a nice spot to chill, relax, and get to know each other. Then, it was time to board the plane – and we were all more than ready to get in our seats and sleep the entire way there. Nicholas Paauwe was even kind enough to create a group playlist for the Global Navigators, in which I hope students included some songs by Aitana because she is the best! La reina!

But back to the students. Anyway, we all got on the plane safe and sound, and before we knew it, we had arrived in Lisbon. Passing through customs was a breeze, and then we hopped on our next flight to Sevilla. Once we got to the airport, we switched to Spanish and went to get our checked bags (all of which arrived relatively quickly). We then met our orientation guides outside of baggage claim, waving the CIEE sign as if to shout '¡Bienvenidos/as a Sevilla!'

After a short bus ride, we arrived at the hotel where the students met their host families. And well... that's it! Everyone arrived safe and sound, ready to explore what this city has to offer.