I have been living in Spain for eighteen days now.  Only one week of school is down and plenty of adventures are still being had.  Looking back into this small amount of time I have noticed some things.

This post is a list of the things I’ve noticed that are a little different from my life back home. While some of them are easy to adjust to, others have been funny, confusing, and interesting to get used to.  

Most everything (as least where I am staying) is smaller: rooms, beds, breakfast, personal space.

Spaniards really like ham.  A lot.  It is everywhere.  Giant ham legs everywhere.  

Meal times are a bit different with lunch and dinner being much later than in the states.

Most people walk everywhere and they do so at a leisurely pace not like us Americans always in a hurry to get to our destination.

Most of the time you eat everything with a fork and knife, even sandwiches.

Vale, vale, vale, vale, vale, vale, vale.  Vale.  You hear it everywhere.

Talk to the locals about where to eat, get a drink, have a walk.  They know the good stuff.

Kids dress way nicer than I do and it seems that all Spaniards in general spend a lot of money on clothes.

If you are trying to practice your Spanish but the person you are speaking with knows English and switches to it, tell them you want to practice your Spanish and they usually don’t mind helping you out.  

The first floor is floor 0.  The second floor is floor 1, etc.

Don’t take anything from the gypsies.  They just want your money.

If a car can fit, it is probably a road… What is a crosswalk?

And dogs can poop anywhere.  Watch your step.