Meeting Cat

Part of my fascination and interest in travel blogging stemmed from finding Cat Gaa’s “The Do’s and Don’ts of La Feria de Abril of Seville” post during the second semester of my study abroad year. La Feria de Abril ( or The April Fair), one of Seville’s most extravagant festivals was approaching rapidly, and I didn’t want to show up with American stereotypes written all over me. Google quickly led me to her description of La Feria, and I was hooked.

Cat is an American expat in Seville who fell in love with all things Spanish after studying abroad for a summer in Valladolid and then returning to teach English in Olivares, Seville. Her blog, Sunshine and Siestas, is her “virtual love letter to Spain” full of advice for living abroad, her experiences working abroad, anecdotes of her travels and photos which bring all of her perspectives to life.

I reached out to Cat after reading her Feria post and after a number of email exchanges, we decided to meet. My friend and I met her by La Puerta de Jerez before walking to a small local bar to ask her every question under the sun. I am certain there was a period of our conversation where my friend and I simultaneously thought, “Can I just BE you when I grow up?” Cat’s all-around awesomeness was only solidified when she shamelessly ordered a glass Cola Cao in perfect Spanish for her second drink of our meeting.

Cat keeps a packed schedule running a language academy, writing her own blog, contributing to other blogs, co-running her COMO Consulting website and a number of other activities.

You can read Cat’s blog here: Sunshine and Siestas or if you are someone who is thinking of working and moving to Spain, I highly recommend her ebook!