Suddenly, you look at life through a completely different lens.
Traveland culture content creator Katie Boggs, recently moved to Spain from the United States.
The biggest culture shock for me has definitely been adjusting to the eating schedule here.
Thats really crazy to me.
And last but not least, the emphasis on social interaction here is incredible.
That would never happen in the United States.
You go to Starbucks and everyones on their phones and laptops.
I also get breakfast out every single day and its literally affordable to do that.
And then I get a cafe con leche, which is practically like a latte.
Every morning, the total is 3.30.
Im in Granada and a glass of wine is costing me 3.
And the thing about Granada is you get a tapa with it for free.
Youre literally spending 9 on three drinks and dinner.
And the wine doesnt make you hungover because it doesnt have all these additives that the United States has.
I also only work 14 hours a week, yeah.
Now thats not normal to Spain, its just with the program Im with.
Im walking everywhere, its always sunny outside.
Not to mention that everyones literally so friendly.
The party life is so much better.
Not to mention, they got siestas, come on.
The best way I would describe living in this country is that you feel like a human being.
Most things are shut on Sundays.
So you always have that day off to just rest.
I cannot stress enough if you have the opportunity to come to Spain and just experience life here.
Whether its just short-term or long-term, do it because it will change your life and your perspective.
She was happy to share her story with us.
I actually took a trip here on my spring break last year.
She picked it because she had seen an Instagram video about it, I didnt know ANYTHING about Spain.
We were there for 3 days and by the second day, I was in love.
I applied 2 days later, downloaded Duolingo, and moved home for the summer to save money.
I practiced Spanish every day onDuolingoand watched movies and TV in Spanish even though I barely understood a thing.
She pointed out that, for one, the pace of things in restaurants and elsewhere is much slower.
Meanwhile, places close a lot.
On Sundays, most everything is closed, as well as every day from 2-5 pm for siesta.
I also had to adapt to the crazy eating schedule here.
They eat lunch late at like 2-3 pm and dinner is 8-10pm!
she shared with us.
She lives in the south of Spain and found that the people are incredibly friendly.
But there are even more pros compared to the US!
The architecture is BEAUTIFUL here and I love the Spanish Andalusian-style buildings.
I love love love that I can walk everywhere and the food quality is INSANELY better here.
People here are also more chill.
Sure!, instead of Hey, wanna grab dinner sometime this week?
Sorry Im SUPER busy but I can do 3 weeks out at 5 pm on Thursday.'
She said that its mostly the food.
I miss the surplus of options of food choices from all different cultures, she said.
I also really miss iced coffee.
And American pancake breakfast.
I mostly miss the food.
I was also scared to start traveling because of money and safety.
However, I can tell you I barely have money now and I travel ALL the time.
The most expensive part is the plane ticket overseas, she shared some tips.
This is a whole different country!
The best travelers go with the flow and experience everything with open arms!
Be sure to follow KatiesInstagramandTikTokfor her freshest videos.
Most Spanish speakers can be found in Mexico, the US, Colombia, Spain (naturally!
), followed by Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, and Ecuador.
The EF English Proficiency Index states that the Spanish havemoderate proficiencyin English skills.
El Paisreports that27.7% of all Spaniards say they can speak the language.
You cant rely on luck that someone you talk to is going to know English.
A core part of travel and adventure means opening yourself up to new experiences.
And that means embracing the culture, language, food, and lifestyle.
In our experience, the best way to learn any language is to practice it in real-life situations.
Apps like Duolingo and programs like Rosetta Stone are wonderful, to be sure.
However, we personally see the biggest progress when we have some native speakers to guide our way.
In short, when youre learning any new language, it really helps to have a growth-oriented mindset.
Make mistakesand lots of them!
Thats how we learn.
Its the willingness to try that really counts!
Besides, its a great feeling when you apply something youve learned in real life.
She also has 49.2k fans on TikTok.
Katie gives everyone a fresh perspective of what life in the country is really like.
However, far from everybody has the courage to travel abroad.
Previously, Bored Panda spoke about stepping outside ourcomfort zonewith Keith OHara, the founder ofThe Irish Road Trip.
Often, you just need to start small, he told us during an earlier interview.
He suggested creating a list of travel goals that youd ideally love to fulfill in the future.
Youll (hopefully) start to see the benefits of these baby-step trips.
Then, when the time is right, make that main trip, he said.
Solo travel is also an option.
Even though it might sound intimidating, you’ve got the option to still do it.
Consider what the worst-case scenario might be: itll probably never happen.
Be enthusiastic, but be educated about your destination.
Soak it all up.
