To start off this blog, I'm just going to say to get it out there that Spain is in my current opinion one of the greatest countries I have ever been to. Of course that list is not very long, it easily tops all the other places I have been. Probably because I am actually experiencing the culture and interacting with natives as opposed to being on some sort of resort. It also helps that the natives speak a different language to make the experience more fun in terms of communicating.
I have noticed that just being in country and constantly hearing Spanish has caused my Spanish speaking skills to increase. I have been actively trying to learn the vocab and verb forms that way I can talk with the locals but I feel that just hearing it 24/7 is naturally allowing me to improve. As far as culture shock goes I don't really feel culture shocked by anything anymore. I blame the military but what I did and still do feel is like an alien in the country. The tables have turned where the major language spoken is Spanish and nobody but my friends speak English. I imagine this is more than likely what foreigners to America feel like when English is not their primary language. Main differences I notice in the culture are the sizes of the meals. Breakfast is extremely small, lunch is extremely large and dinner is also akin to a small snack. Siestas are also a thing in Spain, everything closes down for lunch and then they take a nap to wake up and continue their day. These are the two main differences I see in their culture compared to ours but for the most part, we are exceptionally similar so adjusting hasn't been too much of a challenge. I also typically look forward for the next day so if I am put off by anything in particular I am always looking forward and driving on.
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