Enduring Culture Shock While Trying To Have A Great Experience

Welcome to my journey in Madrid, Spain! (Photo Taken By Ashley Michelle Williams). OK, so here it is. I have been kind of dreading, yet holding back on talking about my experience study abroad experience in Spain, thus far.   It is not that I am having a horrible time. In fact, I am having a great time in Madrid. However, I am definitely, definitely dealing with culture shock on all levels. I know this is good though, because I love learning about new cultures, people, and identities. However, I think that there is definitely a difference between learning about different cultures and actually having to immerse into them.   My friend and I in the middle of Madrid! What a beautiful day that was! (Picture taken by Marian Padilla).         I tend to be a very optimistic person, and for once I find myself just dreading even having to do the most simplistic things in Spain. I guess this is also due to communication. I did not come to Spain fluent in Spanish and it is sometimes difficult to just simply communicate, because I am finding the Spanish you learn in the classroom is somewhat different from how they speak in Spanish-speaking countries.   However, the good part is that I am actually learning more Spanish than I ever have in the United States! In fact, I feel that by the end of this study abroad experience I will be practically fluent in Spanish.   I just want to point a few things that have really struck me during my time here. For example, I am now understanding that in America everything seems to be in excess. Everything…from cars to candy bars to electricity…all of these things are in excess. The cars in Spain are A LOT smaller than those in the U.S. This, of course, is due to the price of gas (Picture by Ashley Michelle Williams). Yet, when I came to Spain, I had a huge shock. I guess for some reason I was thinking- for a ignorant reason- that Spain would be similar to America. Wrong! It is completely different. And it is not just Spain that is like this, but most European countries. I know this information might not be new to you, but it was definitely new to me. This is especially true since I have never been outside the United States before, besides Canada- which does not really count.   While I am in Spain, I am living with a host family. They are nice, but it sometimes irks me how they constantly talk about and remind me how expensive electricity and water are in Spain. After one time, I get it. I get it. I really try to be environmentally friendly in the U.S., but here I am finding that maybe I am not quite as environmentally friendly as I thought.   THINGS THAT ARE SHOCKING ME THE MOST This was taken inside a metro station in Madrid. Luckily, the traffic at that time was not too bad (Picture by Ashley M. Williams). -People eat in large gaps of time and they really don’t snack.   -People walk everywhere and hardly anyone has a car. Most people use public transportation, like the metro, ALL the time.   - In shoes stores, there are no footies to try on shoes. Instead, they use: plastic??   - 6 a.m. is actually the normal time that everyone stops partying on weekends.   -People tend to show a lot of affection ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE.   -Many people smoke here ALL THE TIME, but wasn’t smoking found to be one of the biggest health problems??   -People wear house shoes at all times around the house. What happened to being barefoot?   -People close the doors to the bathrooms all the time, even if you are NOT in them.   -People listen to a lot of English music here, but hardly anyone actually speaks English??   -People don’t shower or even brush their teeth every day due to the cost of water. Yet, isn’t that bad hygiene?   THE REALITY CHECK I hope you don’t think I am being negative. I am just trying to understand all of these things and to take them in. Yet, I think I am understanding why I am having such a culture shock: I am so caught up on understanding everything instead of just realizing its simply apart of the culture of Spain. Even with the culture shock, I am extremely captivated by the beauty of Spain. This was one of the prettiest views I have ever seen… The sky in Madrid has such an indescribable beauty all the time (Picture taken by Ashley Michelle Williams)   So for once, I feel like I am not embracing what is around me. Although I am recognizing the customs of Spain, I need to embrace things more during my time here.   More and more I’m realizing that studying abroad in Madrid is and will be a great experience (Photo taken by a tourist). Therefore, in order to have a better experience, I am taking a step back every day in order to try to enjoy this experience. Whether it be eating churros, going to different museums, shopping, etc. I am definitely going to try to enjoy my time more in Spain.   Maybe I am also just being too hard on myself. I mean this is my first time out of the country besides Canada, which does not really count. Therefore, I have a lot to deal with I know. Yet, I think I am going to get through this and become a more knowledgeable, peaceful, and embracing human being….   P.S. I absolutely love all of their desserts…Now I also know exactly why people are so thin in Spain, they eat and then, walk everywhere… They have so many yummy desserts within Madrid! (Picture taken by Ashley Michelle Williams)