Sunshine, Noise & Culture Shock

A Quick Spain Update

Hey you! I haven’t disappeared! Spain is treating me well and at the same time, of course, its been an adjustment. I wrote a quick blog post a couple of weeks ago that I didn’t have time to edit and send when I finished, but I wanted to share with you now, as I prepare to get the podcast back started again this week. We have now been here for a little more than a month, and so this is a bit outdated, but I hope to write a follow up to it. Thanks for staying patient with me here, I’m much more settled now and better able to focus on Rethinking Humanity. -LDH

---

Saludos desde Espana!

It has been about two weeks since our last episode, in which I prepped you for a couple of weeks without one. The demands of adjusting to a new home in Spain were to keep me from it, and now I have my head above water enough to send a little written update, although we are still very much in the midst of the transition. We are feeling the weight of the challenges of the change, and have likely exited the honeymoon period that tends to last 2-4 weeks before culture shocks hits those who move to a different country.

So here we are, and it doesn’t feel great! Everything is so different, and everything is a challenge. Taking solace in eating a meal out can be difficult in our small town because the menus here are so different. I knew getting adjusted would be a challenge, because I have lived abroad before, but I forgot how it actually feels. Culture shock is ….not fun. I feel super isolated, alone, confused, disconnected, a little bit judged, outcast, like an outsider, irritated, unable to find calm like I did back home, and perplexed by the way folks do certain things here. All these feeling are normal, I know, and I take rest in that, but it doesn’t change the fact that it doesn’t feel good. Writing about it is helping, though, and I greatly appreciate you who are reading it right now!

My boyfriend and I in Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain

My boyfriend and I landed in Spain Sept. 28, in Madrid, and, after a VERY eventful trip, full of unexpected twists and turns, we made our way to Sevilla where we would spend the night and finally get to take a little bit of a breath. Making it to Sevilla was so refreshing. It was like cold water on a hot day. We had been lugging around three XL suitcases that were over 50 pounds each, plus a rolling carry on and a backpack each. We booked a nice hotel, anticipating we’d need the rest, and boy was it what the doctor ordered. It was beautiful, and the shower in it was magnificent. Just what we needed after two days of travel. We washed off, and went and ate at a nearby restaurant that was accessible on foot, as most things are in Spain and much of Europe. We had three main courses, and two beers each and our tab was 20 Euros. We were like yess! This is why we came! Low cost of living, walkability.

That smile that came upon arrival to Sevilla after a very long trip!

The next day we rented a car to drive to what will become our home for the next 8 months or so, a pueblo in northern Cadiz, about an hour south of Sevilla. It was necessary since we hadn’t found a place to live yet, and we had a lot of luggage to carry around until we did. We saw two places that day, and the second one we fell in love with. Mountain views from the kitchen and living room, third floor, three bedroom two bath, very spacious and lots of natural light. A private patio and community rooftop terrace topped it off. We were like “Where do we sign?” Shortly after, we found out the owner of the piso wouldn’t be able to allow us to declare its address as our living space, which is necessary for getting a residence card. So, it wasn’t going to work out. But, he did offer for us to stay in the place until we found the right apartment. And we took him up on it, gratefully! However, it was certainly a disappointment that is still lingering a little with me.

Fast forward to today, Saturday, October 15, and we are preparing to move. Not from that beautiful 3BR mountain view piso, but from the one we moved into a couple of days after.

I think this could be part of the reason why I am feeling a lot today. Its been weeks since I’ve felt settled and although the move we are making today is ultimately good, it is still hard, it is still change, it is still us unsettled, and I am feeling some fear around how we will adjust and if it will be what we need. Mo has had some major trouble sleeping in the current apartment, and I have had some as well. It is in a very central location, very close to the school I am placed in and one street over from the main street where all the bars and restaurants are. So, it might not be hard to imagine that it is loud. And, this is southern Spain. Where there is lovely weather year round, no central heating and air conditioning, and lots of people living close together. So the combination of folks being loud (culturally folks are much louder here than in the United States), sleeping with the windows open for air flow, being close to the center of town and the schedule many in Spain hold, we hear noise pretty much all day, and late at night since dinnertime here is around 10pm. The new piso, which we will move into later today, will be much more quiet, has way more natural light, is brighter on the inside, is on the other side of town, has more modern decor, has a large private patio and is bigger. It is absolutely imperative for our health right now to make the move. As I type Mo is napping to catch up after a night of only a few hours sleep. We will begin the move in about an hour, around 6:00 local time with the help of the owner of the piso, who will grab us and our 10,000 maletas to get the process going.

I have several thoughts on things to share with you all, and I plan to do so soon, as well as posting a new episode. Hang in there with me and stay tuned!