Favorites & Least Favorites in Spain

There are both common and different parts of the culture in Spain compared to the culture I live in at home. It is easy to be taken away by the magic of a new land and the whole travel experience, but after a week or two there are certain things you either love or despise.

One thing about the culture in Spain that is my favorite is that people tend to always be on the go and active. Even on busy work days, you will find friends and family enjoying their time together. Whether at a cafe or in the park, there are people doing things everywhere you go. I enjoy this part of the culture because it motivates me to use my day wisely instead of wasting time watching Netflix or scrolling on social media.

I also love how I can hop on the metro and go almost anywhere I want and I don't have to drive. Now the metro is not glamorous by any means, but I think there is a sort of movie-esque vibe of the public transportation here. You can put in your headphones and be transported to another part of the city with complete strangers all around you. There is no sitting in traffic trying to merge into another lane while cars all around you are honking. There is no having to stop to fill up your gas when you hear the triggering gas light appear on your dashboard. The metro can be confusing at first, but it is very convenient and that is why it is one of my favorite parts about Spain. I can't imagine studying abroad and not having public transportation.

Of course the beautiful cities like Madrid, Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, and Barcelona are breathtaking. I love walking down the streets seeing very old and charming buildings with flowers hanging down from the terraces. The sunsets gleam onto the cities and during the day the colors of Spain are vibrant. You can walk down the streets and see wonderful art, architecture, and people socializing. Sometimes you might hear live music in the metro or on a busy street which I think is charming.

A few of my least favorite things about Spain is that there are not enough stores around the areas. You can find plenty of pharmacies and fruit stands, but they do not have Target or Walmart which are stores that have everything I could ever need and want. I think another least favorite thing about Spain is that people are not as open to visitors or tourists on a personal level. They might love that we are shopping in their stores but when it comes to getting to know us it is not something in their culture. Approaching a foreigner is just not as common as it is in the US.

---- I just came upstairs from playing ping pong and talking with a few Spaniards that stay in El Faro. This whole time not one single Spanish person has talked to us and we have not talked to them. I think there was just this awkward barrier between our groups. Well thanks to ping pong, that barrier is almost closed. I had great conversations with Maria, Rafa, and Alvaro about life and school. I also was more respected after I showed them my ping pong skills. I love how just a simple "Hey can I play next," can lead to new friendships. This whole time I thought that they were judging me and making fun but they were really nice and open once I initiated the conversation. This was just a side note because I'm really excited that just happened.------