To start with of final summer season, riled up by all my issues with Spanish paperwork, I wrote a put up entitled 12 issues I miss about America. Little did I do know I hit on such a sizzling and controversial difficulty! Fights have been breaking out within the remark part and on twitter about sensitive matters like to-go espresso in Spain and customer support disputes! Now that the tables are turned and I’m again dwelling within the US for some time, I assumed I’d go forward and share with you 12 issues I miss about Spain (and see what number of extra of you I can inadvertently piss off)! Simply kidding 😛
1. La vida tranquila
I believe the factor I singularly miss essentially the most about Spain is the approach to life. It’s utterly totally different lifestyle there that I like. I all the time really feel like there are sufficient hours within the day to get achieved what I wanted to, and I don’t really feel as harassed or as pressured as I do again right here within the US. I really feel like I will be spontaneous in Spain and make spur of the second plans, whereas my life within the States is so deliberate out right down to the hour and I really feel responsible if I don’t get every little thing achieved. I do know that speaks VOLUMES about Spain’s financial disaster, however no matter. Fact be advised, it’s good dwelling in a rustic the place your individual life and happiness come first and your job second.
2. The meals and wine
Good lord, the place do I even start? I miss the easy, scrumptious wholesome (and unhealthy) meals and wine available throughout Spain. I miss how various each area is relating to involves meals, and the way each metropolis has it’s well-known native dish. However by far I miss the tapa and pincho tradition. In Logroño, it was just about customary follow to satisfy up with your pals after work on a Thursday and Friday and go pincho bar hopping downtown for dinner.
I like attending to attempt all various things for very low cost costs. Residing within the Rioja wine nation final yr didn’t assist, and I used to be very spoiled when it got here to ingesting wonderful wine for low costs. More often than not we might get an honest glass of crimson for below 2 euros paired with a pincho for 1,50. Can’t beat that!
3. The low value of dwelling
Rattling, I had forgotten how costly America is! I went from paying 25 euros a month for my mobile phone to over $100. From 1.20 euros for a cup of espresso to $4, and let’s not even get into hire and grocery prices! Spain is an inexpensive nation to stay in by European requirements, and I felt like I may do and purchase so much for little cash. Now that I’m dwelling I really feel like I throw cash away left and proper and I can’t even keep in mind what I purchased!
4. Tortilla de patata
Spanish potato omelette is a elementary meals group in my view, and never having the ability to discover it at each bar, restaurant and cafe round city for $1 is definitely killing me.
5. Besos
In Spain we give two kisses after we meet up with associates or after we are launched to individuals for the primary time, kiss on the left cheek, then a kiss on the best cheek. These besos are a elementary lifestyle in Spain, and one among my favourite little nuances of Spanish tradition. It displays how heat and sensitive Spaniards are, and reveals how welcoming and affectionate they’re to everybody. Although not with hugging, individuals get awkward relating to hugging in Spain.
In America we shake arms. Then wipe our arms on the again of our pants and sanitize them as quickly as we go away the room. Typically once I meet new individuals right here, I’m wondering how they might react if I ignored their outstretched hand and grabbed them firmly by the shoulders and smacked two massive kisses on their cheeks. I might most likely would get hit with a lawsuit.
6. Free healthcare
Can’t argue with this one, until I’ve some secret die-hard republican readers. Once I was in Spain and I acquired sick, I might go to the physician and pay NOTHING. No copay, no massive fats physician’s price, no check expenses, nada! Then I might take my prescription right down to the pharmacy and pay below $10. I don’t suppose I’ve ever payed greater than 10 {dollars} for treatment in Spain.
Since being dwelling I acquired very sick twice and needed to go to pressing care. I even have “good” medical insurance within the States by way of my dad within the federal authorities (thanks Obama!), and might you guess what I’ve sitting on my desk proper now? Over $200 in physician’s payments! WTF?! That isn’t even together with the $100 I dropped on all of the treatment and prescriptions. Residing within the States I really feel like I can’t afford to go to the physician’s once I must, which is a horrible and twisted thought, proper?
7. No tipping
I like NOT having to go away ideas in Spain for something. I do notice that no ideas is straight correlated to abhorrent customer support, however I don’t care! Extra money that I’m not giving freely that goes to my journey funds. I went out with associates in Oregon once I acquired dwelling to the US, solely to be gently reminded that I’ve to tip the bartender. Name me stingy, however I can’t imagine I’ve to go away an additional greenback for somebody to open a 6 greenback bottle of beer for me. I can open the rattling factor myself for $1. And don’t even get me began at a restaurant. I might a lot favor to see that cash included within the unique value than being compelled to cough it up on the finish. Makes me remorse ordering a lot.
8. Regular climate
In Spain we don’t have large superstorm hurricanes, freak lightening storms, twister warnings and monster blizzards that knock out the electrical energy for days. The one time my electrical energy went out in Spain was once I plugged one to many hair home equipment in or once I “forgot” to pay my electrical energy invoice.
9. Impartial retailers
One among my favourite issues about Spain was the entire impartial retailers and markets. I used to go weekly to the identical butcher’s store for my favourite steak cuts, to the greengrocer’s down the road for contemporary veggies, to the fish store for salmon, prawns and clams and to the chook store for hen breasts. The hen would nonetheless have bits of feathers protruding of it and the veggies could be soiled and as contemporary as could possibly be. And all of the shopkeeper’s knew my identify and what I might order. It was a style of what life was once like earlier than large grocery shops known as Big and Safeway conquered America.
10. The vacations
Now that I’m dwelling once more and have (shudder) a giant woman’s job, I’m speaking salaried, advantages, flex time and one thing known as a 401K, I’ve to take care of America’s idea of trip days, which is just about nonexistent. I get 20 paid days off a yr that I’ve to earn first! This implies I’ve no trip now, in any respect. In Spain, I had a vacation about each month, to not point out the puentes! Puente means bridge in Spanish and it implies that many holidays are scheduled on Tuesday or Thursdays in order that these Mondays and Fridays may also be taken off for a 4 day weekend! In Spain, I had 2 weeks off for Christmas, this yr I’ve solely 2 days off. Woof. I would like a trip already.
11. Straightforward journey
Talking of holidays, in Spain it was comparatively straightforward to journey across the nation and round Europe. The bus and practice system was improbable and there are lots of fast and low cost flights round Europe. It was straightforward to flee to London or Paris for an extended weekend, even risking a Ryanair horror story. Right here I’m fortunate if I could make the journey as much as NYC and even into downtown DC. Normally I’m so wiped from my company ladder job that by the point Friday evening rolls round, all I need to do is placed on my snuggie and go out watching reruns of Glee and Downton Abbey.
12. The events
There are few comparable nights out in America to your common Saturday evening in Spain. Spaniards positive know the way to throw down and have a rattling good time, and we haven’t even begun to speak concerning the festivals and particular events. I can’t even rely the variety of instances I’ve gone out for a glass of wine and a pincho with associates and ended up coming dwelling at 6am. Events and going out and having a superb time with family and friends are a giant a part of Spanish tradition, and it’s been an integral half to serving to me make associates with locals and popping out of my shell in Spain, to not point out serving to me enhance my Spanish. Bear in mind Spain is the nation with well-known meals and wine fights and operating with the bulls in Pamplona. There ain’t no occasion like a Spanish occasion.
What do you miss once you come dwelling from dwelling or touring overseas? Do you ever examine your private home nation with one other place you’ve lived?
Tough translation: “In Spain, coming dwelling earlier than 3am isn’t going out, it’s going to dinner
