I am an Asturian in Orange County, CA. It is very interesting what you miss about the US. I find the American sense of humor very Infantile and my American wife finds the Spanish sense of humor weird and creepy. When my mother came to visit me, my American family wanted to take her to Disneyland and my mother emphatically said, "Ya yo no estoy pa muñequitos". I have a personal conflict with my wife because she buys for the heck of buying as I only buy what I really need. It is a vicious cycle in California, Shopping - Garage sales - shopping. Gain weight shopping - Loose weight shopping, most of Americans, under my view, are compulsory shoppers with some sort of an addiction. I blame it a lot in consumerism, incredible customer service and great convenience with a very good credit card availability (For me that's a virus that little by little engulfs your body and life).When I first came to California I study English 6 to 8 hours a day, I will read a book and I will write down the words that I didn't know (At one point I have 6,000 words) I will study it, learn how to pronounce them and properly write it. After couple of years I started a business of doing translations (I was appalled about the Spanish grammar in California public buildings). When we go to parties I just get very tired of the superficial talk, people talking about money, possessions and the kardashians. I am very thankful about the opportunities and family that the US gave me but at the same time I really miss the food, culture, history, sense of humor, profound conversations and the intellectuality of my country. Lots of morriña for me too. I hope I don't offend anybody with my comments.
Interesting perspective. I’m from California and was roommates with Shawn. I was in Austria a couple months ago for the MotoGP race at the Spielberg in Styria and I love the nature of the country as a whole. Truly amazing. But I of course miss out on so much of the culture not knowing the language, other than basics. Unlike Austria, the U.S. is very segregated from the rest of the world geographically speaking. And the culture can be…different. I don’t find your comments offending, but maybe limited to the stereotypes of that specific area somewhat. The US is a very large country and there are a wide variety of cultures within. I hope you have the chance to explore them all. I’m an American, and I’m still exploring my own country. But the rest of the world is so interesting too 🙂 That’s the beauty of travel. You find things you love, miss, and cherish.
I'm Cuban, living in the US for 10 years now and I spend the summers in Galicia where my ancestors were from. I have exactly every single feeling from your comment.
Lo has explicado de una manera que sin yo haber pasado por ello me ha hecho empatizar contigo, quizás el ser paisanos tenga algo que ver, pero yo sigo aquí, en Asturias Has dicho que te agota mucho su charla superficial y sin profundidad. Esto de la cháchara insulsa y superficial en los estados unidos, es algo que he leído y escuchado muchas veces pero me gustaría preguntarte: ¿esto es para tanto o se exagera? ¿ de veras es generalmente así de insulsa y fría la interacción social fuera de tu entorno más próximo? Acostumbrado a España, que se interactua constantemente y se hace de una forma espontánea ya que tal y como es aquí la vida uno no puede ser de otra forma, si aquí uno no interactua o no lo hace con un mínimo de educación, es asocial, es extraño, por eso este detalle de su "vanalidad" con conversaciones intrascendentes a mi me llama muchísimo la atención, y creo que me costaría encajarlo. Un saludo y gracias
@@marycarmendiazsantoro6152 No estoy exagerando Mari Carmen. En cierta manera lo comprendo pues la gente en Estados Unidos trabaja muchisimo y bajo muchisimas presiones (Al que no haga el trabajo muy bien lo echan sin contemplaciones) por lo tanto la gente vive muy estresada y en su tiempo libre no quiere hablar de cosas serias o de cierta profundidad. En Califonia cuando las grandes empresas se deregularon en los 90 fue el principio del fin, crearon muchisimas presiones laborales, eliminaron la pequeña y mediana empresa, abolieron todos los sindicatos y afectaron muchísimo la calidad de vida del Norteamericano medio. De hecho las grandes corporaciones y multinacionales se saltan todo por la torera y son las que realmente controlan el país. Yo, intelectualmente hablando, me siento solo como en un mar a la deriva. Solamente con tu comentario constatas la curiosidad e intelectualidad de nuestro país. Muchas gracias.
@@marycarmendiazsantoro6152 No se exagera Mari Carmen. En cierta manera lo entiendo pues en California se trabaja mucho y bajo muchas presiones y la vida laboral consume completamente al ciudadano de Estados Unidos (Es el centro de todo). Simplemente con tu comentario demuestras una curiosidad, inquietud intelectual, y compasión que es lo que verdaderamente añoro de mi país. Muchas gracias.
It's refreshing to hear someone being honest about things they actually miss from the states. When I lived there we struggled with some of the same issues. Hang in there!
Thanks so much. We’re trying to show all sides of the move - the bad as well as the good. And we love it here, it’s just worth noting that nothing is perfect!
I so appreciate the balanced, realistic views here. Thanks, both! Also, Shawn, conchistedor is heavily underrated, I'll be using that dad joke going forward.
It takes courage to move outside of your comfort zone. I am an expat myself and I completely understand what you are saying. Having said this I am sending you all my love and I’m proud of you guys! Keep it up!! ❤❤
Thank you so much! We love being here and being able to share our experience with everyone - and hearing about how other people cope too. Thanks so much for watching and for sending us such good vibes!
As an Army Brat I totally get the morriña of missing the US. We did several tours overseas and while we got to travel all over Europe in the process, we never flew back home during those times. It was hard on us as kids, but looking back it was a great experience. Regarding healthcare in Spain, I have had to go to several pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals and though it was difficult with the translation, the people were always nice and helpful. I even overpaid once and was refunded within 24 hours. Spain is awesome!! 👍🏻
Me alegro de que a pesar de tener a la familia y los amigos tan lejos os sintáis felices, se os ve felices también, de vivir en España porque es algo muy difícil. Os deseo toda la felicidad del mundo el el tiempo que hayáis decidido quedaros. Y seguro que os iréis acostumbrando a todas las diferencias culturales y que nunca dejéis de echar de menos vuestro país. 👏🏻🥰
You Guys are very inspiring! My husband and i are planning to move to Spain sometime next year in October- November. I watched your video about getting NL visa in LA consular. I appreciate for sharing it with the detail.
My mate, originally from Illinois, has been living in Spain for 30 years... he still suffers from the little culture shocks from time to time, which I have to explain or solve for him. He will always be an American, but at the same time, I don't think he has ever regretted having ventured to live in this country. There is no doubt that you have an open mind and the best of spirits to enjoy this stage of life and those that come. And don't worry, I'm sure you will find people who understand your sense of humor and your deep personality. I love your videos!
Thank you so much for the encouragement. It’s awesome to hear that we’re in good company. We feel the same way - we’ll always be American, but at the same time we really appreciate and love embracing and learning about life in Spain. We’ve already met some awesome people, and we’re learning more each day. Hopefully we can look back on this video in a few years with a smile!
Yes you’re absolutely right, I’m from London England and when I went to Logroño ( North Spain)I missed all the cuisine that we have, initially it was cool to try the Spanish food but then after a while it was repetitive so the way round that was to make everything I craved for from scratch, it took a long time but I got the satisfaction that I needed 😊
We love Logroño! It's a special place, but it definitely doesn't have a lot of variety (compared to the average city in the USA). About to make myself a thai curry right now!
Aparte de la comunicación verbal, está la no verbal y en eso vosotros dos sois unos expertos, con vuestra simpatía, empatía y expresividad 😊😊😊 Ah, y otra cosa, soy hispanoparlante y a los gallegos también me cuesta entenderlos 😂😂😂
In Europe, medications, by regulation, are served in blister packs with individual pills, in limited quantities. The packages with 300 pills that exist in the USA are incomprehensible here, since they encourage overmedication. And only pharmacies are authorized to dispense medications.
So glad you chose UA-cam to share your humor that gets lost in translation 😂 All good points to go into the move “eyes wide open” - I also see the discomfort as growth opportunity. And lucky to have choices on where to live ❤
Absolutely. We’re very lucky and we absolutely love it here. We just want to keep our…experience as grounded as we can for people who are thinking of making the move. Getting out of your comfort zone is always a little tough but usually well worth it.
My wife and I have just started to look into moving to Spain in 3 to 5 years time, so this is amazingly helpful. It's a point of view different to many other videos. As this is what you've missed, could you do a video on what's been great about your experiences so far? Possibly things that people wouldn't generally consider? Great content as usual guys.
It's funny, I never would have imagined that someone would miss being able to buy medicines in bulk. Communication and cultural problems are temporary, the solution is complete immersion, dealing a lot with Spaniards and "forgetting" how things are in America. Galicia is a very special region within Spain and luckily or unfortunately we don't have much tourism or immigration, however in the cities of Vigo or A Coruña it is increasingly common to find food from different countries, but here it is difficult for them to succeed because our food products and our gastronomy are first class. I have a son working in Austin and my three great cultural shocks are, the absolute need for a private vehicle, I was amazed on my first trip that when my son and his girlfriend went to work I was isolated in the housing estate, there was no public transport and you couldn't leave the housing estate on foot, now when I go there, I stay in a hotel in the centre and it is cheaper than using UBER daily. The second shock is the huge portions and the amount of sauces. It is difficult to explain that I want a brisket with potatoes without any sauce. I think that more than one waiter has received a cultural shock when I say that I want it without any sauce. The third cultural shock is the obligation to tip, there is also a minimum 20% VAT and the fact that the prices on the labels do not reflect the final price. Another cultural shock is the kindness of the people, very open and super friendly.
Exactly. Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. I completely agree with your experience in Texas. We are diving into life in Galicia (and loving it) but we just wanted to express some of our cultural dissonance so we don’t present an overly rosy view of Spain. Thanks for sharing your experience in the us.
@@DaysWeSpend There is no paradise on earth, although we are close to it in Galicia...😂😂😂 Enjoy your stay here and keep in mind that if for many Spaniards we Galicians are difficult to understand, for an American couple, living here must be like a PhD in anthropology. Perhaps the only ones who can acclimatize quickly here are the Irish, who are also very special.
Thanks so much for this. I appreciate the reality check. I hope to be moving to Madrid with my husband and pup by the year’s end. We went with the visa experts you recommended (Thank you!) and they have been great. I studied in France in college and remember the language barrier making me feel humorless. It was haaaaard and still I can say it was worth it. The ethnic food bit was a huge surprise and even bigger disappointment. You did mention it might be better in a bigger city. I certainly hope so - we are going to be in Madrid and I need pizza. Please share the name of that Thai place! I really appreciate your vibe, time and thoughtful content.
Madrid is where we go to get our ethnic food fix, so you’ll be fine! Glad Marina is working out for you guys. She’s awesome. Give a shout when you land and let us know how it’s going!
We will be moving from the UK to Spain. I guess we are a little luckier because UK is not that far if we have the ‘morrina’ feeling. But….there is already a big ‘but’ as we are nearer to getting our NLV, we question our desire of moving to Spain. We live in beautiful Scotland and we are going to miss it and all the familiar things! I guess we are moving for the warmer climate and an adventure in our old age! We have to try and see😊😊
I speak fluent Spanish, and even I have problems communicating in Spain. I spend 1-2 months every year here but I always grumble about that “friction” and I’m always happy to get back to where things make sense, if you know what I mean. It’s funny because I’ll be in the US and I’ll miss fresh baked bread on every street corner but soon as I’m here for a while I’m like “why don’t you people eat anything else?!”
Totally agree!!!! The lack of food diversity is a challenge (and I love Spanish food). Every time we return to CA from Spain, the first thing we do is go & eat a good burger, taco, or Korean tofu.
This is my first comment on UA-cam😂. I enjoy watching your videos. You guys are great and thanks for all this hard work you put in! My wife and I have a window of time where we could travel abroad. In March we plan to sell our house because we planned to downsize anyways. In late May -early June, we’ll get a one-way ticket to Spain stay for a year or two. The first thing we will do is hike the Camino de Santiago, Frances way and then explore till we find a place to live. Current plan is to get a non-lucrative visa. So my question is, how did you guys choose your location in Spain? Do you have any recommendation as to a strategy that we could use to search once we finish in Santiago?
As Americans currently living in Germany, we miss a lot of these things about the US too! Combining words for jokes would be a lot easier in German as they combine so many words here! And yes, the medicine from the store instead of going to the pharmacy😅 Great video!
Thanks so much, guys. It’s nice to know our experience translates across borders. I’ll have to learn some good German words. I remember they can get famously long if you want to say something super specific like “Schwarzwälder Schokoladenkirschkuchen”
Originally from N. California. Currently living in the Caribbean. Soon moving to South Eastern Spain. Multiple trips to Spain, and the area we are moving to. Both my wife and I have relatively "shallow" family roots. We love family, but feel that a plane ride (rather than living around the corner) is acceptable when we need to visit. Thought I would miss California, but didn't (Oh. First six years of my life were spent 6 blocks from IN-N-OUT #1). Thought that moving from the Caribbean would be difficult, but our "new" neighbors make each time we leave Spain more difficult. Love the personal aspect of interacting with a pharmacist or assistant when needing a medical/medicine issue addressed and, so far, I haven't felt any lapses or voids in care. I also appreciate the convenience of neighborhood fruiterias, carnecierias and etc. that surround us in our little town. While hours don't match that of the malls and shopping centers in the States, or the big shopping areas near Valencia, I can still find what I'm looking for. And going back the the IN-N-Out thing...There's a great hamburger joint on the paseo just a short walk down the road. His take on a bacon/avocado cheese burger is out of this world! Another aspect of life in Spain is the diversity of European/World culture. We're just a short AVLO to France. A 45 euro flight to England. An overnight ferry to AFRICA! Oh, and there's great Chinese cuisine right across from the train station in Valencia. One of the odd things for me (don't tell my wife this) is the proliferation of McDonald's, Burger King and Taco Bell stuff that's out there. It may not be identical to the menu in the States, but it's pretty close. And I am going to admit to you that I am, and always have been addicted to Taco Bell crunchy tacos 🙂. There are plenty of "American" things to irritate and delight me/us. Is moving to Spain for everyone? No! Is it for you? I hope you find great joy in your time in Spain. Is it right for me? We'll find out, because that's where the adventure is.😎
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s spot on with what we’ve seen. We love the pace here and the rhythm of the shops and restaurants. And we have some food we absolutely adore and many conveniences that we love from back home. I can only imagine how much more cosmopolitan and full of options Valencia is compared to Galicia! Thanks for sharing. It’s great for people to see what life is really like when you make the leap to live abroad.
Hi guys love your videos, I've moved from Castrelo de Miño to the outskirts of Porriño much nearer to Vigo where we found a great Indian restaurant "Royal Tandoori" saying this I mean I was as well missing ethnic cuisine since I left London almost 20 years ago but it's a long time ago I stopped missing life in a big city the other thing living here is to be 14 minutes from Portugal where the shops do open on Sundays. Take care Santi👍
That’s super interesting. Always nice to hear from other people who have made the move a while ago. Thanks for sharing. We’ll keep our eyes open for great Indian food!
As a Californian preparing to (probably) move to Spain in February, thanks for the video! 🙏 In N Out is so good, outsiders just don't get it, or the value it creates in our lives lol.
@@fletcherchristian6411 Hey! Wow, thank you for the kind message, we haven't got official word from an application, but we are hoping to go to Spain to start our journey! Thanks for all the hype & the info. First person in the wild to say they're a fan, haha. We'll probably start making more higher quality content in the future after I pretty much used YT as a google drive video back up with no to zero effort videos. We won't be starting in the North if we do start in Spain, although the prices are tempting!! :)
9:28 Shoes and clothes! I am a size 13-14 depending on the shoe 😂so I plan on just buying new shoes in the US whenever we move abroad. I do enjoy the "hands off" shopping experience in the US when clerks just let you wander the store and try everything without checking on you.
I wonder what the process was of chosing specifically Ourense and how comitted you are to stay there, or stay in Spain in general. Perhaps it was being addressed in some other video?
We haven’t done a video on that yet. We’re planning on addressing that in the future. We love Spain and Ourense, but we never know what our future brings us!
My wife and I enjoy watching your journey and experiences. We live in the Los Angeles area and I am nearing completion of getting my Spanish passport as my mother is Spaniard (father is American). We plan to begin our tipping of the toes into Spain in early 2026 as part of our later life's journey. We are very familiar with Spain and still have family there but we certainly can relate to missing access to different cuisines and other conveniences. Muchos abrazos y besos. Are you still able to teach Swing in Spain? I know in Zaragoza where my family is from that there are Swing clubs.
The city of Ourense is a strong exception within Galicia, much hotter than the rest. It is in a microclimatic zone with hot summers while most of Galicia has warm summers. To compare to USA, most of Galicia has the same Koppen-Geiger climatic classifications than Oregon while Ourense has the same classification than the south of California.
#4 - American healthcare is disastrously expensive. Not only the cost of insurance but all other expenses as deductible, co-pay, and percentage they are covering... Now, the drugs (medicine) in Spain (and the Entire Europe in general, but more-so in Spain) are way, way hands down less expensive than in the US. Not only that, but they're better, and for many of them you don't need a doctor's prescription as in the FDA-dictated USA. Plus, the pharmacist always can recommend a better drug for your treatment. Try this in the US where the pharmacist will not say a word without doctor's prescription... My wife always buys her medicine in Spain, and it helps her much better than the American medicine.
We 100% agree that American healthcare is unaffordable and parasitic. We don't think that the USA does it better, but learning to navigate a new system is exhausting. We're grateful to have affordable coverage in Spain. As a foreigner, we still have to pay for private health insurance.
You are experiencing a form of 'Culture Shock', and it's understandable that you're trying to adjust to a new environment. Every immigrant in the world goes through it too.
First of all, congratulations on passing 20K subscribers. Second, Are you telling me that I can't get my Costco 2-Pack 500 count Advil for $12?!? Forget it, I'm not moving.
In a nutshell, most of YOUR ploblems had to do with YOU not being able to speak in the local language. I live in the USA and have to deal with the same issue. I do not change US medical system for the one in SPAIN. Not having to enter in a hospital with my credit card between my lips is a bless. You need a trip to USA urgently.
I lived in France for about 8 months during college. I missed real, strong relationships with women friends. I could never break into the French way of forming female friendships, which always seemed like American women from the south - petty, catty, and not very genuine. I came back with only one true French friend. Women act weirdly in places where they aren't very free, at least that is my interpretation. Maybe i just missed some key point of culture.
We're sorry that you had a weird experience in France. It's tough to make friends with locals in Spain, too. Most people have the same friend group since they were children. We have found a good community of expats and some of them have local spouses. These friends have made a world of difference to us.
Oh, no online shopping. This is sad. Question: This may not be related to the current video topic, "Things You Miss About the USA." However, can you please say something about safety? I see a lot of news about illegal migrants. Is this safe? How does this impact Spain from a safety point of view? Thanks in advance.
We feel safe but everyone has a different level of that feeling based on your experience. It also depends on where you live. Spain is a large country with very unique regions.
I am an Asturian in Orange County, CA. It is very interesting what you miss about the US. I find the American sense of humor very Infantile and my American wife finds the Spanish sense of humor weird and creepy. When my mother came to visit me, my American family wanted to take her to Disneyland and my mother emphatically said, "Ya yo no estoy pa muñequitos". I have a personal conflict with my wife because she buys for the heck of buying as I only buy what I really need. It is a vicious cycle in California, Shopping - Garage sales - shopping. Gain weight shopping - Loose weight shopping, most of Americans, under my view, are compulsory shoppers with some sort of an addiction. I blame it a lot in consumerism, incredible customer service and great convenience with a very good credit card availability (For me that's a virus that little by little engulfs your body and life).When I first came to California I study English 6 to 8 hours a day, I will read a book and I will write down the words that I didn't know (At one point I have 6,000 words) I will study it, learn how to pronounce them and properly write it. After couple of years I started a business of doing translations (I was appalled about the Spanish grammar in California public buildings). When we go to parties I just get very tired of the superficial talk, people talking about money, possessions and the kardashians. I am very thankful about the opportunities and family that the US gave me but at the same time I really miss the food, culture, history, sense of humor, profound conversations and the intellectuality of my country. Lots of morriña for me too. I hope I don't offend anybody with my comments.
Interesting perspective. I’m from California and was roommates with Shawn. I was in Austria a couple months ago for the MotoGP race at the Spielberg in Styria and I love the nature of the country as a whole. Truly amazing. But I of course miss out on so much of the culture not knowing the language, other than basics.
Unlike Austria, the U.S. is very segregated from the rest of the world geographically speaking. And the culture can be…different. I don’t find your comments offending, but maybe limited to the stereotypes of that specific area somewhat. The US is a very large country and there are a wide variety of cultures within. I hope you have the chance to explore them all. I’m an American, and I’m still exploring my own country. But the rest of the world is so interesting too 🙂
That’s the beauty of travel. You find things you love, miss, and cherish.
I'm Cuban, living in the US for 10 years now and I spend the summers in Galicia where my ancestors were from. I have exactly every single feeling from your comment.
Lo has explicado de una manera que sin yo haber pasado por ello me ha hecho empatizar contigo, quizás el ser paisanos tenga algo que ver, pero yo sigo aquí, en Asturias
Has dicho que te agota mucho su charla superficial y sin profundidad. Esto de la cháchara insulsa y superficial en los estados unidos, es algo que he leído y escuchado muchas veces pero me gustaría preguntarte:
¿esto es para tanto o se exagera?
¿ de veras es generalmente así de insulsa y fría la interacción social fuera de tu entorno más próximo?
Acostumbrado a España, que se interactua constantemente y se hace de una forma espontánea ya que tal y como es aquí la vida uno no puede ser de otra forma, si aquí uno no interactua o no lo hace con un mínimo de educación, es asocial, es extraño, por eso este detalle de su "vanalidad" con conversaciones intrascendentes a mi me llama muchísimo la atención, y creo que me costaría encajarlo.
Un saludo y gracias
@@marycarmendiazsantoro6152 No estoy exagerando Mari Carmen. En cierta manera lo comprendo pues la gente en Estados Unidos trabaja muchisimo y bajo muchisimas presiones (Al que no haga el trabajo muy bien lo echan sin contemplaciones) por lo tanto la gente vive muy estresada y en su tiempo libre no quiere hablar de cosas serias o de cierta profundidad. En Califonia cuando las grandes empresas se deregularon en los 90 fue el principio del fin, crearon muchisimas presiones laborales, eliminaron la pequeña y mediana empresa, abolieron todos los sindicatos y afectaron muchísimo la calidad de vida del Norteamericano medio. De hecho las grandes corporaciones y multinacionales se saltan todo por la torera y son las que realmente controlan el país. Yo, intelectualmente hablando, me siento solo como en un mar a la deriva. Solamente con tu comentario constatas la curiosidad e intelectualidad de nuestro país. Muchas gracias.
@@marycarmendiazsantoro6152 No se exagera Mari Carmen. En cierta manera lo entiendo pues en California se trabaja mucho y bajo muchas presiones y la vida laboral consume completamente al ciudadano de Estados Unidos (Es el centro de todo). Simplemente con tu comentario demuestras una curiosidad, inquietud intelectual, y compasión que es lo que verdaderamente añoro de mi país. Muchas gracias.
It's refreshing to hear someone being honest about things they actually miss from the states. When I lived there we struggled with some of the same issues. Hang in there!
Thanks so much. We’re trying to show all sides of the move - the bad as well as the good. And we love it here, it’s just worth noting that nothing is perfect!
I so appreciate the balanced, realistic views here. Thanks, both! Also, Shawn, conchistedor is heavily underrated, I'll be using that dad joke going forward.
Yessssssssss!
It takes courage to move outside of your comfort zone. I am an expat myself and I completely understand what you are saying. Having said this I am sending you all my love and I’m proud of you guys! Keep it up!! ❤❤
Thank you so much! We love being here and being able to share our experience with everyone - and hearing about how other people cope too. Thanks so much for watching and for sending us such good vibes!
As an Army Brat I totally get the morriña of missing the US. We did several tours overseas and while we got to travel all over Europe in the process, we never flew back home during those times. It was hard on us as kids, but looking back it was a great experience.
Regarding healthcare in Spain, I have had to go to several pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals and though it was difficult with the translation, the people were always nice and helpful. I even overpaid once and was refunded within 24 hours. Spain is awesome!! 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing your experiences! We love Spain and the healthcare has been great, just totally different
I was Shawn’s roommate for a year in college, and trust me when I say, Spain doesn’t know how funny he is. Good thing he has Lainey! 😉
That’s right! Good thing he has me! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Knowing Shawn for just a little while now, I would have to 2nd that ^^^ (What he said) ^^^
Me alegro de que a pesar de tener a la familia y los amigos tan lejos os sintáis felices, se os ve felices también, de vivir en España porque es algo muy difícil. Os deseo toda la felicidad del mundo el el tiempo que hayáis decidido quedaros. Y seguro que os iréis acostumbrando a todas las diferencias culturales y que nunca dejéis de echar de menos vuestro país. 👏🏻🥰
Muchas gracias!
My friend from Toledo had never had a 'smore. We taught him the fine art over an authentic Eastern California campfire. 😁
Ooooh! 'Smores are the best!
You Guys are very inspiring! My husband and i are planning to move to Spain sometime next year in October- November. I watched your video about getting NL visa in LA consular. I appreciate for sharing it with the detail.
Thanks so much. Good luck with your visa application.
My mate, originally from Illinois, has been living in Spain for 30 years... he still suffers from the little culture shocks from time to time, which I have to explain or solve for him. He will always be an American, but at the same time, I don't think he has ever regretted having ventured to live in this country. There is no doubt that you have an open mind and the best of spirits to enjoy this stage of life and those that come. And don't worry, I'm sure you will find people who understand your sense of humor and your deep personality. I love your videos!
Thank you so much for the encouragement. It’s awesome to hear that we’re in good company. We feel the same way - we’ll always be American, but at the same time we really appreciate and love embracing and learning about life in Spain. We’ve already met some awesome people, and we’re learning more each day. Hopefully we can look back on this video in a few years with a smile!
Yes you’re absolutely right, I’m from London England and when I went to Logroño ( North Spain)I missed all the cuisine that we have, initially it was cool to try the Spanish food but then after a while it was repetitive so the way round that was to make everything I craved for from scratch, it took a long time but I got the satisfaction that I needed 😊
We love Logroño! It's a special place, but it definitely doesn't have a lot of variety (compared to the average city in the USA). About to make myself a thai curry right now!
Great video thanks 🫶
Thanks for watching!
Aparte de la comunicación verbal, está la no verbal y en eso vosotros dos sois unos expertos, con vuestra simpatía, empatía y expresividad 😊😊😊 Ah, y otra cosa, soy hispanoparlante y a los gallegos también me cuesta entenderlos 😂😂😂
😆 gracias!
Thankfully the language will not be an Issue for my hubby and I but I feel your pain
It’s always nice when you already speak the language. We’re learning though!
In Europe, medications, by regulation, are served in blister packs with individual pills, in limited quantities. The packages with 300 pills that exist in the USA are incomprehensible here, since they encourage overmedication. And only pharmacies are authorized to dispense medications.
Yes, we love the blister packs but it takes getting used to!
We have been in Fuengirola and there were lots of international restaurants choices!
Fantastic! We’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip.
So glad you chose UA-cam to share your humor that gets lost in translation 😂 All good points to go into the move “eyes wide open” - I also see the discomfort as growth opportunity. And lucky to have choices on where to live ❤
Absolutely. We’re very lucky and we absolutely love it here. We just want to keep our…experience as grounded as we can for people who are thinking of making the move. Getting out of your comfort zone is always a little tough but usually well worth it.
My wife and I have just started to look into moving to Spain in 3 to 5 years time, so this is amazingly helpful. It's a point of view different to many other videos. As this is what you've missed, could you do a video on what's been great about your experiences so far? Possibly things that people wouldn't generally consider?
Great content as usual guys.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing it.
It's funny, I never would have imagined that someone would miss being able to buy medicines in bulk. Communication and cultural problems are temporary, the solution is complete immersion, dealing a lot with Spaniards and "forgetting" how things are in America. Galicia is a very special region within Spain and luckily or unfortunately we don't have much tourism or immigration, however in the cities of Vigo or A Coruña it is increasingly common to find food from different countries, but here it is difficult for them to succeed because our food products and our gastronomy are first class. I have a son working in Austin and my three great cultural shocks are, the absolute need for a private vehicle, I was amazed on my first trip that when my son and his girlfriend went to work I was isolated in the housing estate, there was no public transport and you couldn't leave the housing estate on foot, now when I go there, I stay in a hotel in the centre and it is cheaper than using UBER daily. The second shock is the huge portions and the amount of sauces. It is difficult to explain that I want a brisket with potatoes without any sauce. I think that more than one waiter has received a cultural shock when I say that I want it without any sauce. The third cultural shock is the obligation to tip, there is also a minimum 20% VAT and the fact that the prices on the labels do not reflect the final price. Another cultural shock is the kindness of the people, very open and super friendly.
Exactly. Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. I completely agree with your experience in Texas. We are diving into life in Galicia (and loving it) but we just wanted to express some of our cultural dissonance so we don’t present an overly rosy view of Spain. Thanks for sharing your experience in the us.
@@DaysWeSpend There is no paradise on earth, although we are close to it in Galicia...😂😂😂 Enjoy your stay here and keep in mind that if for many Spaniards we Galicians are difficult to understand, for an American couple, living here must be like a PhD in anthropology. Perhaps the only ones who can acclimatize quickly here are the Irish, who are also very special.
We just moved to Zamora and trained for my first day on the Camino today! A dream to actually train while on it!
That’s amazing! We’ve been meaning to see more of Zamora. Let us know how your Camino goes and maybe we can meet up and see your city!
Thanks so much for this. I appreciate the reality check. I hope to be moving to Madrid with my husband and pup by the year’s end. We went with the visa experts you recommended (Thank you!) and they have been great. I studied in France in college and remember the language barrier making me feel humorless. It was haaaaard and still I can say it was worth it. The ethnic food bit was a huge surprise and even bigger disappointment. You did mention it might be better in a bigger city. I certainly hope so - we are going to be in Madrid and I need pizza. Please share the name of that Thai place! I really appreciate your vibe, time and thoughtful content.
Madrid is where we go to get our ethnic food fix, so you’ll be fine! Glad Marina is working out for you guys. She’s awesome. Give a shout when you land and let us know how it’s going!
What am I nervous about? After this video... everything! 😄 Cool video. Gracias por la informacion.
Hahaha mission accomplished!
@@DaysWeSpend Howww.... dare you! 🤣 why am I laughing?
We will be moving from the UK to Spain. I guess we are a little luckier because UK is not that far if we have the ‘morrina’ feeling. But….there is already a big ‘but’ as we are nearer to getting our NLV, we question our desire of moving to Spain. We live in beautiful Scotland and we are going to miss it and all the familiar things! I guess we are moving for the warmer climate and an adventure in our old age! We have to try and see😊😊
I can relate! We are also in the process of getting our NLV. Best of luck to you! Enjoy the sunshine.
Good luck with your future move!
@@DaysWeSpend Thank you😊
@@SusanH-b3z Thank you. Good luck to you too😊
I speak fluent Spanish, and even I have problems communicating in Spain. I spend 1-2 months every year here but I always grumble about that “friction” and I’m always happy to get back to where things make sense, if you know what I mean. It’s funny because I’ll be in the US and I’ll miss fresh baked bread on every street corner but soon as I’m here for a while I’m like “why don’t you people eat anything else?!”
Hahahahaha. Totally understand that.
Y sí y por teléfono es todavía más difícil entender.
Totally agree!!!! The lack of food diversity is a challenge (and I love Spanish food). Every time we return to CA from Spain, the first thing we do is go & eat a good burger, taco, or Korean tofu.
Lack of diversity food in Spain? Lol. Also, what is spanish food?
This is my first comment on UA-cam😂. I enjoy watching your videos. You guys are great and thanks for all this hard work you put in! My wife and I have a window of time where we could travel abroad. In March we plan to sell our house because we planned to downsize anyways. In late May -early June, we’ll get a one-way ticket to Spain stay for a year or two. The first thing we will do is hike the Camino de Santiago, Frances way and then explore till we find a place to live. Current plan is to get a non-lucrative visa. So my question is, how did you guys choose your location in Spain? Do you have any recommendation as to a strategy that we could use to search once we finish in Santiago?
We feel so honored! Thanks for stopping by to comment. Sounds like an awesome trip. We came here for the termas hot pools. It’s great.
The thing I miss most is Shawn’s mustache - the Galician Brad Pitt.
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As Americans currently living in Germany, we miss a lot of these things about the US too! Combining words for jokes would be a lot easier in German as they combine so many words here! And yes, the medicine from the store instead of going to the pharmacy😅 Great video!
Thanks so much, guys. It’s nice to know our experience translates across borders. I’ll have to learn some good German words. I remember they can get famously long if you want to say something super specific like “Schwarzwälder Schokoladenkirschkuchen”
Originally from N. California. Currently living in the Caribbean. Soon moving to South Eastern Spain. Multiple trips to Spain, and the area we are moving to. Both my wife and I have relatively "shallow" family roots. We love family, but feel that a plane ride (rather than living around the corner) is acceptable when we need to visit.
Thought I would miss California, but didn't (Oh. First six years of my life were spent 6 blocks from IN-N-OUT #1). Thought that moving from the Caribbean would be difficult, but our "new" neighbors make each time we leave Spain more difficult.
Love the personal aspect of interacting with a pharmacist or assistant when needing a medical/medicine issue addressed and, so far, I haven't felt any lapses or voids in care. I also appreciate the convenience of neighborhood fruiterias, carnecierias and etc. that surround us in our little town. While hours don't match that of the malls and shopping centers in the States, or the big shopping areas near Valencia, I can still find what I'm looking for. And going back the the IN-N-Out thing...There's a great hamburger joint on the paseo just a short walk down the road. His take on a bacon/avocado cheese burger is out of this world!
Another aspect of life in Spain is the diversity of European/World culture. We're just a short AVLO to France. A 45 euro flight to England. An overnight ferry to AFRICA! Oh, and there's great Chinese cuisine right across from the train station in Valencia.
One of the odd things for me (don't tell my wife this) is the proliferation of McDonald's, Burger King and Taco Bell stuff that's out there. It may not be identical to the menu in the States, but it's pretty close. And I am going to admit to you that I am, and always have been addicted to Taco Bell crunchy tacos 🙂. There are plenty of "American" things to irritate and delight me/us.
Is moving to Spain for everyone? No! Is it for you? I hope you find great joy in your time in Spain. Is it right for me? We'll find out, because that's where the adventure is.😎
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s spot on with what we’ve seen. We love the pace here and the rhythm of the shops and restaurants. And we have some food we absolutely adore and many conveniences that we love from back home. I can only imagine how much more cosmopolitan and full of options Valencia is compared to Galicia! Thanks for sharing. It’s great for people to see what life is really like when you make the leap to live abroad.
Hi guys love your videos, I've moved from Castrelo de Miño to the outskirts of Porriño much nearer to Vigo where we found a great Indian restaurant "Royal Tandoori" saying this I mean I was as well missing ethnic cuisine since I left London almost 20 years ago but it's a long time ago I stopped missing life in a big city the other thing living here is to be 14 minutes from Portugal where the shops do open on Sundays.
Take care
Santi👍
That’s super interesting. Always nice to hear from other people who have made the move a while ago. Thanks for sharing. We’ll keep our eyes open for great Indian food!
As a Californian preparing to (probably) move to Spain in February, thanks for the video! 🙏 In N Out is so good, outsiders just don't get it, or the value it creates in our lives lol.
@@fletcherchristian6411 Hey! Wow, thank you for the kind message, we haven't got official word from an application, but we are hoping to go to Spain to start our journey! Thanks for all the hype & the info. First person in the wild to say they're a fan, haha. We'll probably start making more higher quality content in the future after I pretty much used YT as a google drive video back up with no to zero effort videos. We won't be starting in the North if we do start in Spain, although the prices are tempting!! :)
Hahaha yesssssss it will always have a piece of my heart. Good luck with the move!
9:28 Shoes and clothes! I am a size 13-14 depending on the shoe 😂so I plan on just buying new shoes in the US whenever we move abroad. I do enjoy the "hands off" shopping experience in the US when clerks just let you wander the store and try everything without checking on you.
Those are both great things to add!
I wonder what the process was of chosing specifically Ourense and how comitted you are to stay there, or stay in Spain in general. Perhaps it was being addressed in some other video?
We haven’t done a video on that yet. We’re planning on addressing that in the future.
We love Spain and Ourense, but we never know what our future brings us!
My wife and I enjoy watching your journey and experiences. We live in the Los Angeles area and I am nearing completion of getting my Spanish passport as my mother is Spaniard (father is American). We plan to begin our tipping of the toes into Spain in early 2026 as part of our later life's journey. We are very familiar with Spain and still have family there but we certainly can relate to missing access to different cuisines and other conveniences. Muchos abrazos y besos. Are you still able to teach Swing in Spain? I know in Zaragoza where my family is from that there are Swing clubs.
Thanks so much for following along. I’m teaching a little bit here but mostly we attend events for fun. I have dance friends in Zaragoza!
How's the weather in Galacia? Is the rain too much? The area is amazing
Galicia isn’t for everyone and the weather varies a lot - sometimes dumping sometimes blazing hot - but we love it!
@@DaysWeSpend I see, seems like a lot of Spain is like this.
Oh by the way, I miss In n OUt as well!! haven't had a burger in like 10 years :(
The city of Ourense is a strong exception within Galicia, much hotter than the rest. It is in a microclimatic zone with hot summers while most of Galicia has warm summers.
To compare to USA, most of Galicia has the same Koppen-Geiger climatic classifications than Oregon while Ourense has the same classification than the south of California.
You should have moved to portugal. I found all of that food there
#4 - American healthcare is disastrously expensive. Not only the cost of insurance but all other expenses as deductible, co-pay, and percentage they are covering...
Now, the drugs (medicine) in Spain (and the Entire Europe in general, but more-so in Spain) are way, way hands down less expensive than in the US. Not only that, but they're better, and for many of them you don't need a doctor's prescription as in the FDA-dictated USA. Plus, the pharmacist always can recommend a better drug for your treatment. Try this in the US where the pharmacist will not say a word without doctor's prescription... My wife always buys her medicine in Spain, and it helps her much better than the American medicine.
We 100% agree that American healthcare is unaffordable and parasitic. We don't think that the USA does it better, but learning to navigate a new system is exhausting. We're grateful to have affordable coverage in Spain. As a foreigner, we still have to pay for private health insurance.
You are experiencing a form of 'Culture Shock', and it's understandable that you're trying to adjust to a new environment. Every immigrant in the world goes through it too.
Exactly. We’re loving life here and are trying to share our honest experience of what we’re learning and how we’re adapting. Thanks for watching.
First of all, congratulations on passing 20K subscribers.
Second, Are you telling me that I can't get my Costco 2-Pack 500 count Advil for $12?!? Forget it, I'm not moving.
Thank you!!!!
Yup, gotta miss the Costco sized drugs
😆😆😆
If you were here you would hate the elections ads and environment with political views. Trust me you’re better off there ❤
In a nutshell, most of YOUR ploblems had to do with YOU not being able to speak in the local language. I live in the USA and have to deal with the same issue. I do not change US medical system for the one in SPAIN. Not having to enter in a hospital with my credit card between my lips is a bless. You need a trip to USA urgently.
We’re fully aware of this and how we sound. We’re taking Spanish class but it’s always poco a poco.
The most important is you know it and you are working to solve it. Congratulations for that y por vuestro canal..😊
Viva la vida❤+1
❤️
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I lived in France for about 8 months during college. I missed real, strong relationships with women friends. I could never break into the French way of forming female friendships, which always seemed like American women from the south - petty, catty, and not very genuine. I came back with only one true French friend. Women act weirdly in places where they aren't very free, at least that is my interpretation. Maybe i just missed some key point of culture.
We're sorry that you had a weird experience in France. It's tough to make friends with locals in Spain, too. Most people have the same friend group since they were children. We have found a good community of expats and some of them have local spouses. These friends have made a world of difference to us.
If you end up needing to use the hospital ask for a (human) translator
Better to ask for an intèrprete
Great tip!
I will never understand Californians obsession with in & out. Its not that good
Haha fair enough.
Why did you move to a country where you don’t know how to speak their language?
We can speak it, just not fluently. And we’re getting better everyday!
@@DaysWeSpend❤❤Yes, you can. Sí se puede.
Aprendan Español! Primero
Sí, estamos de acuerdo. Ahora mismo estamos en clase de español B1. ☺️
¡Estamos aprendiendo tan rápido como podemos!
Oh, no online shopping. This is sad. Question: This may not be related to the current video topic, "Things You Miss About the USA." However, can you please say something about safety? I see a lot of news about illegal migrants. Is this safe? How does this impact Spain from a safety point of view? Thanks in advance.
We feel safe but everyone has a different level of that feeling based on your experience. It also depends on where you live. Spain is a large country with very unique regions.
Are you still in Ourense?
Yup. It’s the best!
@@DaysWeSpend I’m actually wanting to visit and see if it would be a good fit for me in about a year. I’m planning on somewhere in Spain.
We recommend visiting a few cities. There are so many great small cities in Spain.
@@DaysWeSpend I definitely will! I prefer Northern Spain to the South for heat reasons. I’d like to check out Vigo.
@@keb107 Put Pontevedra, Santiago, A Coruña, and Lugo on your radar. Those are all nice cities, too.