¡Listo!

Let me tell you about the rain in Spain.  Whatever you've heard about this rain, whether it be from My Fair Lady or some other source, I'm not sure it is correct.  While Sevilla is flat, it is not considered "in the plain."  We're just gonna make it clear right now.  This means that it should not rain a lot, right?

Wrong.  Granted, it rains here less than it could, I suppose, but it does rain a lot.  For weeks at a time.  Because that's how it works, really.  It'll rain for a week or so at a time and then we'll have 3 or so weeks of sun.  It's a pretty good trade off when looking at it from a distance, but in the moment, it sucks.  Take this week, for example: it has been raining since last Sunday.  That is 9 days ago.  9 days of rain.  Normally, I like rain.  I like standing in it and dancing in it and getting completely drenched.  But I do not like rain in Sevilla, at least not right now.  I will tell you why.

1. It's cold.  The rain is cold here.  And maybe that's because it's March, but that doesn't really matter.  9 days of cold rain is infinitely worse than 9 days of warm rain.
2. Walking is a principal form of transportation.  This can be said for two of my three "semi-permanent residencies," Sevilla and UNC-CH.  Walking is a very large part of everyday life here in Sevilla, and even if you do want to take the bus or the metro to escape it, you will still have to walk for at least 5 minutes in the rain.  I guarantee that.  And last but not least:
3. THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE RAIN.  The thing about Sevilla (or Spain in general, really) is that there are no truly "public" places; that is, there is nowhere that you can just duck inside to take a brief respite from getting drenched.  For example, at UNC, there is the Union.  Or Lenoir.  Or the Student Stores.  Or any class building, the library, or anyone's dorm/community hub.  In Spain, here are your options: cafe (where you will have to buy something), store (where you will also have to buy something), monument visit (which costs money), or any other place that isn't free.  We do have the university, but it's cold.  (And so are all the aforementioned places.)  Nor can you go over to someone's house, because that's against popular customs here.  So even if you wanted to take a brief pause from the rain, it's not like you could unless you wanted to go back to your homestay, which is also too cold, especially when you're wet.