Lately, I’ve been feeling a tad bit nostalgic when I think about Spain. I remember that around this time, -back in 2019- I was preparing and gathering all necessary documents to move to Spain and I was so excited! I had always wanted to live abroad in Europe and travel and can now cross that off my bucket list. However, sadly, I miss the culture, food, and everyday life of being in Madrid and some days, So, to sort of taking my mind back to those days, I’ve decided to talk about the similarities and differences between living in Boston and Madrid!
Boston and Madrid aren’t that different. They’re both bustling cities with packed trains but they’re also different in everyday life. This post is going to cover topics from everything to McDonald’s to packing your fridge with 15 euro.
Similarities
- The City
As I said above, city life is similar (to an extent.) Boston and Madrid are both big and busy cities filled with all sorts of people. I swear, some days I’d walk down the street and forget that I was in Spain! The shops, all types of different people, the energy– it was all the same. I think all major cities share that aspect. I never felt like I had to extremely adjust and adapt because I was used to this life. Getting up early, walking in big crowds, and trying to catch the train– it was a little piece of home for me.
- The Metro
I have a love and hate relationship with trains and I was glad that Madrid didn’t change that for me! It was exactly the same in terms of catching the train, being squished, being annoyed by train talent, and having to hold your breath because someone smelled terrible. Living in Boston, I normally take the train to get everywhere and that was the case in Madrid. We had no car (no need) so, it was either the metro or the cercanias. The cercanias is basically their version of the commuter rail and was easy to follow. Everything was simple and as long as you read carefully, you’ll be fine.
- Fast Food
I always knew that American fast-food restaurants existed around the world but for it to be so accurate (on top of having their own specialties) was pretty cool! I mean, I could go into Popeyes and get a chicken sandwich that lowkey tasted better than the one in the US. It also just felt familiar. I love a good Taco bell nacho bowl or a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s every now and then because I lived close to the main center, fast food was everywhere. However, if I’m being honest, I will say that the fast-food over there felt healthier. I don’t know what it was but I didn’t get that “gross” feeling afterward and could eat Mcdonald’s more frequently.
- Shopping
Everyone around the world loves to shop and Madrid is no stranger to it. Whenever you went down to the main shopping square near Sol, it was always (emphasis on always) bustling with locals, tourists, and other Spaniards from different provinces. No matter what time it was, people were out and about. It reminded me of Boston crossing; where all the shops and restaurants are. I loved it and enjoyed going down there to window shop because it’s exactly what I used to do on the weekends in Boston.
- Life
I know “life” seems vague but what I mean is that I never felt like an outsider. Even though my Spanish isn’t top tier, I still got around and people were helpful and knew a lot of English. Or, if they didn’t, they’d assist by going half on the English Spanish. Also, because of social media, everyone was aware of everything! I know back in the day, (and still in some places today) people would travel and say how it was like a different world but nope. I guess I would say life and pop culture were the same. People would talk about the same shows, music, events and it never felt like I had no idea what was going on. Obviously, there’d be a few Spanish cultural things that I didn’t know but people would be excited to explain them to you.
Differences
- They’re Relaxed
One thing I had to get used to was the slow-paced lifestyle. Living in Boston (America in general let’s be honest) we’re very fast-paced with everything we do. I remember when I was walking home one day, someone actually told me to slow down. I’m so used to speeding and keeping up with the flow of everything that I forget to stop and smell the roses. Everything is so chill over there that you have to get used to it or you’ll be frustrated. At first, I was frustrated, especially when it came to processing documents but, they didn’t care! They didn’t stress or worry about little things like that because life is so much more than that.
- 4 Day Work Week, Siesta
Now this, this was amazing! I am someone who wants to work from home and be around my children and family so I am all for this! I loved working Monday through Thursday and having a three day weekend and I think it is something that America needs to adopt. America has such a hustle only mindset and its sad. Life is more than just pushing yourself and getting burnout. I think people would be happier. Not only could you possibly have a 4 day work week, you most definitely will have a siesta! I love siesta, it’s amazing– I literally had a 2-hour break. That is so needed for an 8-9 hour shift.
- Night Life
One thing I wasn’t ready for was their nightlife! Nightlife in Boston ends around 1:30-2 pm but in Madrid, people are heading home at 6 am! The number of times I’d be on the metro early in the morning, and see so many people (still drunk) and finally heading home was always surprising. I’d be starting my day while people were just getting to bed. Also, the nightclubs were definitely larger in size and one even had 6 floors! Crazy.
- Meal Times
Meal options and mealtimes are very different than in the US. Over here, we’re so used to eating a big breakfast. lunch, and dinner all by 6 pm. However, Spaniards eat fruit and cookies for breakfast and dinner around 8 pm! I was so shocked whenever I’d see restaurants still open after midnight. Although the cuisine is much healthier, it makes sense. Their food isn’t heavy nor processed and can be digested much easier.
- Living Situations
When I say living situations, I mean little things like having a washer in your ‘flat’ but not a dryer and other little things as such. Instead of a dryer, we had to use clothespins and it was somewhat of a culture shock because I’ve been so used to dryers all my life. I know a few other people that mentioned differences in heating and plumbing but for me, it was just the laundry. Also, trying to figure out the washer machine was stressful because it was in Spanish and the numbers and systems were all different.
That’s it for this post! As you can see, nothing was drastically different but it was noticeable. And in all honesty, that’s the beauty of traveling to a new country. What is something that you’ve noticed in a different country
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Xoxo,
Shay