What’s it like living in Spain? The US-born instagrammers explain culture, food and language differences
Have you ever thought about moving to a different country? As exciting and fun as it might sound, it definitely comes with challenges. Now with social media we can see what it’s like to live in far-away places like Spain.
Sun, surf and sand, that’s what most people think of when they imagine living in Spain. The country has hundreds of beautiful beaches on its Mediterranean and Atlantic shores, but sightseeing as a tourist is one thing and living day-to-day with a job and family can be quite different.
We have all seen movies, TV shows and read books about life in Southern Europe and in this series of articles we’ll get a different perspective from some Americans who have made the transition and reside in sunny Spain. Let’s take a look and see what life looks like through the some US citizens who share their daily lives on Instagram.
‘Mamainmadrid’ shows us what life is like for an American mom in Madrid
Emily has been back and forth between the US and Spain since 2013. In her blog and Instagram account she shares her experiences with her family in Spain and explains some of the big differences between the two countries. If you have ever visited Spain, you know that the weather is great and so is the food! The local cuisine is one of the most popular topics in Emily’s posts.
Restaurants are great, but can be expensive, especially if you eat at Dabiz Muñoz’s restaurant RavioXO in Madrid. Emily goes on to explain another advantage of living in Spain; the price of food and drinks in supermarkets, which tend to be much cheaper than the US or other countries in Europe.
The price for a decent bottle of wine in Spain can be anywhere from 2 euros and up, but as she explains, there are some great options for under 5 euros. If you can get over the fact at the supermarket that eggs and milk aren’t chilled and you have to bag your own groceries, the ‘stress’ is definitely worth it.
‘Spainwithemily’ is another American Emily, but she lives in Sevilla
Sevilla is about as Spanish as it gets and some of the stereotypes the rest of the country try to avoid can still be found in this beautiful city: Flamenco dancing, bull fights and 100º F heat are very much part of this Andalusian city.
Emily in Sevilla is just as impressed as Emily in Madrid with the price for drinks and food in Spain. She has several posts on cheap Spanish wine and how surprisingly good a 2-euro bottle of red wine can be. One of her pinned posts with over 5,000 likes mentions the advantage of cheap alcohol in Spain, but also explains one of the down sides of living in Southern Europe: the salaries:
‘Lamericanabroad’ is another American Expat in Spain
Nic has a different take on Spain and shows her followers some of the more traditional events in Spain like Christmas, Easter (Semana Santa) and other celebrations in Andalucia.
No mention of cheap wine or food, but this account could be very useful for tourists who visit Southern Spain for a few days. She gives advice to fellow Americans about what to see and do while visiting Spain, which can come in handy if you’re just visiting for a week or so.
We’ll continue to comb through social media and see how other US citizens are getting on in countries like Italy, France and Germany. Keep an eye out for our next post here.