Thoughts on a second time 'round....

As I start to get settled into the Seville life once again, it is becoming more apparent just how different the experience is a second time around, both positively and negatively.
On one hand, there is a sense of comfort in already knowing what supermarket has the best tomatoes or what neighborhood bar serves up the best ham and cheese tostadas. The area shopkeepers wave "hi" to me as I walk past them on the streets. I can give directions to a lost tourist without batting an eye. I know the opening and closing hours of clothing stores, the chino shops and the supermarkets. I can navigate with ease through the twisted mess of narrow streets in the city center. I feel comfortable here- I know what to expect, and I truly feel that I am a part of this neighborhood.
On the other hand, the fact that i have become accustomed to life here has, in some ways, made it lose a bit of its magic. I no longer gasp in awe at all the ancient buildings all around me, or stare up at the orange trees bursting with still-green fruit in wonder. The thought of living in a place where palm trees dot the cityscape no longer has me grinning with disbelief so much that my cheeks hurt. Hearing the sound of church bells ringing at dusk from my bedroom window no longer makes me perk up my ears in amazement. These things are no longer the forefront of my Seville experience- they are merely the background.
Its interesting how when all the glitter and sheen of a new and exotic place starts to wash off, you see that it is a normal city, just like any other place. It isn't just a mystical place featured in glossy travel magazines, it is a real city, like any other. There are bad neighborhoods and homeless people, rank sewers and air pollution. Of course I noticed all of this last year, but I think I was so blinded by the novelty of all of it that i chose to ignore it. This year, its not so easy to ignore.
All that being said, I love Seville. A lot. And even though the things that seemed so exotic to me last year are more along the lines of "normal" to me now, I still appreciate them. I realize that I have the rare opportunity to really get to know a beautiful foreign city, something that many people never have the pleasure to do. so i think this year will be a little bit more raw. Now that I have gotten past the awe inspiring sites, i can pull up my sleeves, dig in and really get to know this city, its people and everything in between.
I look forward to this year, and seeing what I am able to take away from my experience in round number two.