Spanish Lifestyle

Living in Spain for almost a month now has opened my eyes to the differences that exist between the lifestyles of Americans and the lifestyles of Spaniards. Living with my host mother Belen has shown me that the Spanish lifestyle is much more conservative of things and also a lot slower paced. For example, Belen is a very slow eater. Americans like to devour their food and move on to the next activity planned for the day. In Spain the Spaniards like to sit down and enjoy their food. They are very focused on the importance of conversation and discussion. There are no worries as far as time because the Spaniards usually set aside at least an hour to eat their meals. In America it takes my family about a half an hour to eat our meals and then we move on to the next thing in the day. Another difference between American and Spanish lifestyles is the conservation of resources. Resources such as water and electricity are very expensive in Spain and it is important that they are used carefully. Something Belen enforces me and Ryan to do is turn off the lights when we are not using them. When we leave our room for dinner the lights have to be turned off. This is a good idea because it is pointless to have these lights on when they not being used. All this does is run up the electricity bill. Another example of conservation of resources is taking short showers to save the water. When Ryan and me take showers we turn off the water when we are not using it. This can be annoying to turn off and put back on but again it is good to save so that you are not paying for it in the future. This focus on conservation has shown me how wasteful America really is. If we brought these conservation tips to America it would be amazing to see how happy people are when their bills for these resources are substantially lower.

            Another difference in the lifestyle of the Spanish and of the Americans is what people truly value. In Spain people value their food and are very meticulous in every step of the process. There food is always fresh and they always try to be healthy. They want to make sure they put their best product in front of their customers every time. They love pleasing people and making sure they are satisfied with what they are eating. Another thing Spaniards value is their leisure time. The idea of a “siesta” or nap in the middle of the day is a great practice. It allows families to come together and be with each other after a morning of work or school and relax. After they return to work and are refreshed and reenergized. This is a great idea because it also allows people to go home during the hottest part of the day because it is very difficult to work and be productive in the heat in Spain. Americans value different things. Americans love their food too but for its portion sizes and fattiness which makes it taste so good. Americans also love convenience and easiness. The quicker you can do something the quicker you can move on to doing the next thing whether that means producing more products or having more free time it all adds up and can be very beneficial.

            A part of the Spanish lifestyle that I wish I could take home to the states with me is the drinking age. Having the drinking age at 18 is much more liberating and I feel that I was better able to experience the culture and the Spanish lifestyle by being able to go for Tapas and to the Discotecas. I also like the idea of the “siesta” because in my opinion it can turn your day around. If you have a rough morning you can come home for lunch and take a nap and then go back to work where it will hopefully be better. In America if you have a bad morning it can affect your whole day and you can’t do anything about it. The Spanish lifestyle was fun to experience and the trip has been fantastic I can’t wait to tell all my family and friends at home all about it!