Sunday, August 28, 2011

Spain vs. the U.S. (Spain wins by the way.)

Just some thoughts I was having about what I'll miss when I leave versus what I'm looking forward to living with for the next 9 months.

Los Estados Unidos

1. I don't know how I'll be able to go for 9 months without real milk. I just don't think that milk should come in cartons that are left outside on the porch for god knows how long. Milk is meant to be refrigerated. Seriously.

2. I'll miss driving in my car with the windows down and the radio blasting and being able to sing at the top of my lungs without feeling weird.
That was the first thing I did when I got back home after a semester in Spain. Humming quietly while you walk down the streets just isn't the same.
Granted, some people don't care and will belt it out anyway, but that's not really my style.

3. I'll miss my boyfriend. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, this is a given. But I'm so used to seeing him everyday, being able to call him or text him whenever I want. It will be weird to have to plan out times that we can talk.

4. I'll miss my friends&family. A couple of weeks ago I would have said I'd be fine living on another continent without seeing my family for a year (I know that sounds harsh, but that's what college did to me...) but now that I've been living at home on and off, I'm starting to get reattached...
And as for my friends (New Glarus, Monti, La Crosse, Anoka, everyone) I can't even imagine a year without seeing any of them! 

5. I'll definitely miss the dollar. When I see a t-shirt that costs $10 I might think twice about buying it, but if I see the same shirt for 8E or 9E, I'll tend to think that it's a steal cause it's under $10 and I'll buy it. (Obviously forgetting that now it's actually $11-$12). Not that that's such a big difference, but it does add up.

6. PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES! I can't be the only person whose about to going to be upset when late November rolls around and there's no place to buy pumpkin spice lattes. Maybe I'm wrong and these are offered in Spain as well, in which case I will be ecstatic!! I've worked at Culvers for the last 4 years and Thanksgiving has by far been my favorite time of the year, solely because of the pumpkin spice shakes and concretes.

[Update. Thankfully these glorious beverages made their appearance about a week ago, so I've been buying them every opportunity I can. Count so far = 1 frappuccino, 3 lattes, 1 shake.]

7. Culvers. I may be slightly addicted to this restaurant chain, seeing how I've worked there for several years and I'm still not sick of eating their food. When I eat a hamburger in Spain (which I just learned is usually made with veal or a mixture of beef and pork) I will fondly remember the deliciousness that is a Culvers ButterBurger

These are all kind of trivial things though, I suppose.

Here's what I'm looking forward to about España.

1. First off, It's not the U.S.! I'll be living and working in a foreign country thousands of miles away from my home, by myself, without knowing anyone. This is the experience of a life time.

2. Tinto de verano. This is definitely my favorite drink that I had in Spain.
I normally dislike wine. I wished I liked it cause I like the heady feeling I get after drinking a glass or two, but every sip feels like I'm choking down nail polish remover. Ew.
But tinto, ahhhhh. It's pure deliciousness. My first stop once I reach Algeciras will be to stop at a bar and get a glass.

3. Siestas! How great is it that nap time for adults is encouraged? I took lots of naps in college but it wasn't quite the same. I woke up feeling groggy and annoyed because I had fallen asleep on top of the book I was supposed to be reading for biology. Or I would set my alarm for a 20 minute nap and then push s.n.o.o.z.e. for the next 2 hours, which still resulted in me being groggy and annoyed and behind on my homework.
But now, I'll have a 2-3 hour time frame to nap away without feeling guilty!

4. The ease of t.r.a.v.e.l.i.n.g. around Europa. That sums that up.

5. The relaxed pace of life. I was in Spain for 4 months last time and I still never really got used to how slowwwwww people walk. It's not just when they walk, they take their time everywhere. And that's something that a lot of us Americans aren't used to.
I'm excited to have a reason to leave early on my way to work just so I can enjoy the scenery, and to stop and enjoy a coffee at an outdoor café just because I can.


6. Las rebajas. That's 'sales' for all you monolingual people. Europe has two terrific clothing sales throughout the year, one in the summer and one in the winter. Amsterdam apparently advertises 70% off in many of its stores over the winter rebajas!

1 comment:

  1. I totally agree with about all the things you will miss about the US (maybe not as much about the pumpkin lattes). It is very very weird that they don't refrigerate their milk! In one of my packages that my mom sent she included some calcium tablets because she was worried when I told her that I didn't drink milk there! Culvers was the last meal that I ate before leaving for Europe! The exchange rate gets me every time too! I always o thats pretty cheap and then I remember the exchange rate and think twice about buying! I loved Spain when I was there. I have so many friends that I want to go back and visit. You should go to Valencia and the Basque Country (of the Best Country as they call it!)

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