Values

The biggest impact Spain had on me was through my entire outlook on life. Before living there, I took a lot of things for granted, like my family and my friends. I never realized how much they meant to me and how much I need them in my life. By seeing the relations between the Spaniards and their loved ones I learned about how lucky I am to have my family play a big role in my life and I am so much more grateful for that now. I also learned the value of culture and how much it shapes our lives. American culture is very fast-paced, overwhelming, and at times fake. Here, we get what we want, when we want it, and by whatever means available. I Spain, it is the complete opposite in that they learn to live with and love what they have, and if they want something more they will work very hard for it. I also learned how to truly appreciate the history of our culture and why it is so important to who we are as a nation today. The actions, and sometimes lack of action, by the people who have come before us have changed the way we live and surviveThe places I have lived, the people I have met, and the things I have done are what shapes me as a person and because of Spain I have learned how to be truly appreciative of all that I have.

History

I have found that one of the things that I enjoyed the most about Spain was how full of history it is. Every city we visited had some part of it, some story to tell, that went all the way back hundreds of years. No matter where we went was the feeling of a nation deeply rooted in all the things that happened before them, because it shapes who they are as a culture today. The period of time that had most obviously affected them was the reign of Franco during the middle of the twentieth century. France was a dictator that controlled the lives of Spaniards in all aspects. Franco changed the way they ate, dressed, celebrated, etc.; he made up their minds for them. After he died, Spaniards were able to live again which contributes a lot to their outlook on life and how they are happy enough to just be.History also plays a big part of their lives in the form of paintings. Artists like Picasso, Goya and Velazquez all originated from Spain and have had a serious impact in Spanish culture. Not only are their countless, famous art museums throughout Spain, but the style of each different artist are represented in other forms like parks and buildings. A specific example of this is the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona designed by Gaudi. This church was given such intricate designs that it after many years of building it has yet to be complete. It is things like the work of Gaudi and his fellow artist that Spaniards pride themselves in and boast about wherever you go.

Forever Friends

Second to the closeness of families come friendships. To them, friends are their second family and they would likewise do anything for each other. There was not a day that went by that my senora didn’t have a friend stop by for coffee and a chat or went out for the afternoon to spend time with another. I also experienced the value of friendships in other ways. Although, most of the people I spent time with were not from Spain, I think we adopted their ideas of being open to everyone and that we are all there to enjoy ourselves so there is no point in being angry or upset. I even remember one of our teachers saying on the first day of class that she was there to teach about her country and her language, but she was also there to be a friend and a positive part of our experiences. Spaniards are known for being “party people” who spend little time at work and a lot of time at fiestas. But more than that, I think that they have their priorities straight because they would prefer to be out with their friends, socializing and meeting new people. People think that they don’t take life as seriously as the rest of us, but I think it’s the other way around. They realize that they have only one life to live so it is very important to cherish the things that you have and to enjoy everything to the fullest.

Family Matters

Spaniards and their families have very close relationships. They are often so close that in some cases children don’t move out of their homes until they are in their late twenties and are getting ready to be married. Another example of their tight-knit relationships is that whether it is 10 o’clock in the morning or 10 o’clock at night, you will always see young families out and about with their children and babies. I think this speaks a lot about their relationships. There are very few cases where a child is not cared for by either their parents or by grandparents or other close relatives. There are few nurseries in the city of Salamanca and any outside care isn’t used until it is time to begin socializing with other children their age at pre-school. Also, most weekends, and occasionally weekdays, are spent with family at get-togethers and other functions. The parents of my Senora would make a 4 hour trip every other weekend just to spend a few hours with their family. I saw this as true love and dedication, because I know a lot of people back home that hardly see their grandparents that much even if they live right down the road from them. Also, my Senora would be sure to spend time, even if it was short, with her girls every day to catch up and make sure they are doing okay. These close families account for the way Spaniards look at life. Family comes first to them before all else, and they will do anything for each other.

La Comida

The food in Spain was a drastic change for me. Spain eats mainly a Mediterranean diet, consisting of a lot of fish, vegetables and bread with every meal. Breakfast usually consisted of light things like toast or crackers with tea or coffee. I was used to the traditional full American breakfast of things like eggs, bacon, pancakes, and fruit that my mom cooked for my family every day. However, the light meal worked for them because lunch was the biggest meal of the day. At around 2:00 p.m., the family would all reunite at home for a large, multi-portioned meal. The meal was honestly enough for a whole army, but it was more about the fact that they were all taking time out of their day to be together as a family. The final meal of the day was served around 9:00 p.m. and was almost always some type of seafood. My favorite meal was paella because it was so fresh and traditional to this culture. While eating fish everyday is not something I would go back to, it is what worked for their culture. For them, meat is for the most part very expensive and fish is often the cheapest, and freshest, option for them to eat. However, they do have a large influence of the American styles of eating. No matter where you go you can’t escape the McDonald’s, the Burger King’s and the KFC’s. Also, even in nice restaurants they serve things like hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and French fries. It’s hard to believe that even a culture so rich in culture and tradition are enamored by American foods.