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 people kayaking and rowing.  I eventually found out that competitive rowers and canoers come from northern Europe during the winter to train and practice on our river.  I wanted to return to the USA with a new hobby, and so I decided to join a “club de piraguismo.” The club that I joined had a class four times a week for a few hours in the afternoon, and as I had limited experience in a kayak previously, I attended the class. This was probably one of the best things for my Spanish, as the club was all Spaniards that barely spoke English. I got to experience Sevilla in a truly unique way while forming friendships with people that had lived in Sevilla their whole lives.  A normal class would have anywhere between six and fifteen people along with our instructor, and would last around two hours.  Kayaking on the Rio Guadalquivir as a part of my normal life is something I’ll always treasure about my time in Sevilla, not to mention the people I met while a member of that club.

~Ellie Groenendyk; Summer 2015