Yo. I’ve been writing this post in my head for weeks and months! I keep waiting for time and space to write and I guess I just finally got here for the first time in 2026.
We love it here so I have a lot to put on this list! It’s linguistic and cultural, it’s everyday stuff and deep stuff that you’d never think about unless you’re an outsider looking in.
So, here are a bunch of things I love about this place in no order at all:
- Spaniards place a high value on being OUTSIDE. I’ve realized this in many ways throughout our time here, beginning with the throngs of people sitting at tables as far as the eye can see during summer evenings. To be expected, right? But then it started to cool off as winter approached. The throngs did not diminish. In the dark, in the cold, at midnight, the throngs still occupied all the outdoor tables to the point that finding seats is competitive even in chilly weather. Then, 2 weeks ago, I met up with friends in Las Setas for drinks around 6pm—and, obviously, we sat outside. It was dark, and around 50 degrees. I stepped inside to use the bathroom and NOT ONE INDOOR TABLE was occupied. This hit me hard because wow—in the US no one would be sitting outside in those temps at all. They DO draw the line at sitting in the rain, though yesterday I saw people huddled under an awning, in 50 degrees, while the rain was actively coming down, enjoying their beers.
2. We got bikes! All 3 of us! The truth is that it’s pretty hard to bike in the centro given all the cobblestones and narrow passageways (one such passage between buildings on the way to school is barely wider than my handlebars). But it’s FUN. And kinda feels like a videogame. No one gains much speed in the tangled maze of flat streets full of pedestrians and slow-moving cars, so it’s safe if not much faster than walking. However! We live just outside the centro where there are 2-way green paths between the sidewalk and the street, so we never have to bike next to cars. My route to work is entirely on bike paths and very picturesque. Chloe is gaining confidence as a cyclist and Evan is already biking all over the place, getting himself to basketball practice. If only it weren’t for all the rain we’re having we’d bike every day.
3. Sense of time is so different here, everything is later and slower. Beginning with the fact that we’re in the wrong time zone (apparently Franco wanted to align with Nazi Germany so that’s a rather horrifying reason for why it’s never even a little bit light before 8am). Even getting up at 7am feels like the middle of the night. So mornings naturally start late: school starts at 9, and no one gets to my office before 10. Lunch is around 2pm and no one I’ve ever met actually takes a nap, though we have a comfy futon in the office just in case. Everyone leaves the office around 7pm and dinner is light and late. When it’s good weather, families are out walking or in the parks with strollers and dogs, sitting in plazas, having lunch that drags into coffee that becomes ice cream and endless playtime for kids. It feels so luxurious—this is the aspect of Spain that always felt like cheating to me—like, is this OK?! (I’m still stuck on American habits like working through lunch and dedicating way too much time to “being productive” but at least I’m self-aware about it).
4. There are a couple of Spanish words/phrases that are so ubiquitous and have really sweet connotations that feel core to this culture: 1) Perfecto! A few days after arriving, I was suddenly put on a call with the private health insurance company to give them a bunch of our personal details. I was in no way linguistically prepared for this call and had to struggle my way through as best I could. We’re talking a REAL struggle. But the guy kept saying “perfecto” which truly gave me more confidence, and I realize that people say it constantly, and I find it super encouraging. 2) Hasta luego! OK, everyone knows this one, but it hit me early on that STRANGERS will say this to you all the time, aka people you’re unlikely to ever see again. It feels like a more profound message, like “we’re all in this together.” 3) Vosotros: I definitely skipped this verb form in all my Spanish classes and now I use it daily. It’s the informal way to address “you all” and is super common in Spain. I almost never hear “usted” and have now dropped it from my vocabulary, addressing my elderly neighbors as “tú” and hoping for the best.
5. There’s a very pro-environment vibe here. Public transportation is easy, safe, convenient (though it’s such a small city we barely need it). All our garbage goes into giant bins on the street. They’re labeled for cardboard/paper, plastic, glass, etc. And the one for actual trash is labeled “los restos,” as in “the rest,” kind of flipping the script on how we think about sorting, aka the only thing that goes in the landfill is whatever can’t be recycled. Trash bags are small and manageable because you take them out daily. And every supermarket cashier will ask you if you need a bag because they’re going to charge you for it.
6. The holidays were so sweet! I already shared photos of the lights. We attended the cabalgata of the Reyes Magos (the 3 kings parade) and it lived up to the hype. So much joy and excitement and the kids had a blast and got a ton of candy, plus gifts in their shoes the next morning.
6. Tapas. I’m not an expert but I can tell you that every restaurant has its own spin on the classics like patatas bravas. I’m going to experiment more so we have recs for visitors! We found a little restaurant in our hood that has something for all of us, and we were thrilled to find it. At home, I can now make padron peppers (w/ olive oil and salt) and also garbanzos y espinacas. And we use more olive oil than butter now because it’s so good and so cheap. But I buy our tortillas españolas (a type of potato/egg omelette) at Mercadona because they’re soooo good.
7. Coffee with parent friends. I don’t know how I got so lucky but I pretty often get cafe con leche and pan con tomate after the school dropoff with mom (and dad) friends and it’s amazing for my language skills and new friendships. The school families have been super welcoming.
8. Almost everything is cheaper. Jorge showed me this place near our office that will give you a yummy glass of wine and 4 tapas for 3 euros. WTH!
People here are so kind. Evan recently wiped out on his bike and a stranger walked him home! But they will never smile at you on the street. That would be weird if you don’t know each other 🙂
I know things are rough in the US, and I’m thinking about you all the time.
Hope your New Year is off to a good start and that your plans include a visit to Europe. Sending love!
the solo mama project 