Four Lifestyle Differences Between California & Spain

The Aventura children buy a snack at a typical Spanish bakery.

​People on both sides of the Atlantic often ask me to describe the biggest differences we've found between living in California and living in Spain. With just six months left before we leave this beautiful Barcelona lifestyle, I've been reflecting on that question a lot recently.  Here are my thoughts...
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Four Biggest Differences Between Lifestyle in California and Spain:
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1. Driving

It's time for a CA adventure... so let's drive!

​In California, I spend an average of two hours in the car per day, every day. Sometimes it's more like three. Here are the kinds of places I drive to in our California hometown:

• Supermarket
• Dry cleaners
• Kids' schools
• Bank
• Gas station
• Soccer practice
• Soccer games
• Brunch or lunch with friends or family
• Work
• Date nights
• To see live music
• Dinner with friends or family
• Movie theaters
• Clothes shopping
• Medical appointments
• Emergency room visits for kids
• Beaches
• Gyms, exercise classes, Pilates, yoga
• Everywhere!

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Yep... southern California traffic. Again.

​In Spain, we drive our car for the following reasons:

• To pick up friends or relatives at the airport
• "Away" soccer games (not in our neighborhood) on weekends
• Showing out-of-town visitors the Catalan countryside
• Family vacation road trips

My husband would probably appreciate if I mention here that I myself do not actually drive in Europe.  We do own a car - the fabulous Chico Suave - but my husband is the only one who drives it.  

So, even when we do drive, I'm not the one with the stress here.  

To be fair I will add that he chose this fate when we first moved to Spain.  In 2016 Sr. Aventura decided to buy a car with a manual transmission and when I reminded him before purchase that I only drive automatic he smiled and said, "That's fine, it's just for a year."  Famous last words! 

Three years later, we are still living in Spain and my somewhat chagrined husband continues to do the (rare) driving.  Mainly though, he bicycles and the children and I walk or take the bus, metro or taxi!
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Taking the metro and local trains in Spain makes getting around easy and relaxing!

​2.  Grocery Shopping
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Going to buy olives in Spain at a local olive market.

Another big difference I find between California and Spain: Grocery shopping!
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In California, our family tends to buy groceries like this:

• Get out the reusable grocery bags, put them in the car
• Drive to a large market such as (but not limited to) Vons, CostCo, Trader Joes
• Take a large grocery cart and fill it with an entire week's worth of items
• If at CostCo, perhaps fill the cart with a month's worth of non-perishable items
• Stand in line where a checker and/or baggers put all of my groceries in bags or cardboard boxes
• At times, scan all of our own groceries and bag them myself before paying an automated cashier
• Bring the full shopping cart to the car
• Drive the car home
• Unload the groceries into the house and garage refrigerator

In Spain, our family buys groceries like this:

• Get out the Spanish shopping trolley (made of water-resistant fabric, on wheels)
• Push the trolley up or down the street to any one of the 3 vegetable and fruit vendors located within two blocks of our house; or to the butcher; or to the fishmonger; or to the bakery
• Alternatively, push the trolley to any one of the 3 major grocery stores on our street
• Purchase enough fruit, vegetables, meats, grains, beverages and sundries to fill the shopping trolley (likely enough for 1-2 days total)
• Weigh all of our own produce and vegetables
• Bag all of our own groceries
• Pay the cashier 
• Push the shopping trolley back to our apartment building
• Take the trolley into the elevator (our neighbors might prefer that we use the service elevator for this purpose but hey, we're BRAZEN!)
• Unload the shopping trolley in our kitchen and place groceries in the refrigerator
• Eggs and unopened milk containers are NOT refrigerated in Europe

The main differences are that we buy less food in Spain, so the food we eat is fresher... and I walk to and from the grocery store, so there is a lot more exercise involved (and weight lifting, once the shopping trolley is full).
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3. Lunch during the Work Week
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Typical appetizers for a normal Spanish lunch 'menu'.

One enormous difference that we have noted and appreciated between California and Spain is the way in which people eat lunch during a work week.

In California, this is how we typically ate lunch with our respective jobs:

• At our desks, in front of the computer
• Out on 'lunch duty' as a teacher while continuing to work (for me)
• Lunch meetings (continuing to work)
• Having lunch delivered to our places of work for special occasions
• Business lunches (for my husband)
• Quickly!  There is always more work to be done!
• Non-alcoholic (what are you, a lush???)
• Normal lunchtime: 11:30am - 1:30pm

Here is how we eat lunch in Spain (along with all of the working people at the tables next to us):

• In a restaurant or at home
• Freshly made, not processed or packed in plastic
• Often with friends, colleagues or family
• Taking advantage of the daily "menu" which is a sort of prix fixe affair
• A typical "menu" in Spain consists of a 1st course, 2nd course, dessert and a beverage (often wine)
• Usually costs between 12 and 16 euro per person for the entire meal
• Tipping more than a few coins is not customary or expected
• Lunch can last between 2-3 hours
• Customary to have a glass of wine (of course, it's time to relax!!!)
• Normal lunchtime: 1:30 - 4:30pm 

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4. Family Time
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Off for a family hike in lovely Rupit, Spain. Great way to spend a Sunday!

​We are a family that values our time together in all countries so it isn't particularly surprising to find us hanging out as a group after school or on the weekend, whether in California or Spain.

In California, this is how we usually spend family time together during the week and on weekends:

• ​Driving to soccer practice
• Driving to soccer games
• Driving to get groceries
• Driving to shop at the mall
• Driving to play at the beach
• Eating dinner together, sometimes in front of the television, around 6 or 6:30pm
• Hosting playdates at our house
• Bringing our kids to other people's houses for playdates
• Making dinner for family and friends
• Barbecues
• Playing board games
• Bicycling
• Going to parties
• Going to the movies or watching a movie together at home

Soccer Saturday, Spanish Style. Viva Fútbol!

​In Spain, this is how we typically spend family time together during the week and on weekends:

• Taking the bus or train to soccer practice
• Taking the bus or train to soccer games
• Walking to the grocery store
• Walking to shop at the Corte Ingles Store
• Driving for a family adventure out of town, such as hiking or beach-going
• Visiting friends in local towns, letting our kids run around the Placa (which is like the town square) after they have a gelato
• Inviting friends over to experience curious American traditions including 'slumber parties' and 'pancake breakfasts'. We've also introduced them to American Thanksgiving Dinners!
• Making a large afternoon lunch on the weekend for friends called a 'comida'
• Playing board games
• Bicycling
• Going to parties
• Spending all of Sunday together - all of the businesses are closed, it's a day for being together with your family!
• Flying to neighboring cities or countries, since everything is so close and the flights are so cheap!  15 euros to Mallorca?  Yes, please!​

Both California and Spain are pretty spectacular places to live.  We are such a lucky family, there are no bad options!  Still, if you've been wondering what it would be like to pick up and move abroad, this blog post hopefully gives an idea of what may be different in your new life.

Life is short.  Get out there and choose your own adventure! :)

Enjoying a family afternoon in Barcelona... car free. We hiked up to see the view!

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