Question about living in Spain
I am living in Spain since last year, and moved hoping for the best, but I’m not enjoying it due to the laid-back culture, tough job market, low pay, and bureaucracy. I’m thinking of returning to Canada. However, I love Europe’s travel opportunities, culture, architecture, food, and weather.
What are some of the things you don’t like about living in Spain and how do you deal with them?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
”There are two different countries when you are living in Spain: North and South. If you live in Andalusia and don’t like it, move to the North before coming back to Canada. The North has European standards regarding quality of life and services. Canada is going through a HUGE crisis right now: there is no more affordable housing, health services are crumbling and the cost of living has exploded. We are being exploited by big food chains and banks. P.S. And we have an @$$….le as a prime minister”
”It takes time, be easy on yourself. Once the ‘novelty ‘ wears off, everyday things can become annoying. For me, the hardest adjustment has been customer service here, I deal with it by reminding myself that ‘tipping’ is almost nonexistent, and I tip generously when I do get good service. Also, I try to frequent places where the service is better, and I also remind myself, I am not going to change a whole culture and that I chose to come here so I try to accept it the way it is. Lately, when I compare how expensive tipping has become in Canada, I don’t feel grumpy when I get poor service. In general, I would say, I make a conscious effort to try to remain focused on what I like about Spain, and I also surround myself with people who enjoy living here. Ultimately go back to the Drawing board, and remember what you used to love about the idea of living here, if that’s still there, focus on that, as we can’t change the rest”
”Just had a heartfelt conversation with a friend about the challenges of living here, and then this post pops up on my Facebook feed. It really struck a chord with me. You see, I’m originally from Mexico, but I’ve spent half of my life in Canada. A year ago, my wife, who hails from Barcelona, and I made the decision to move here. Little did I know that it wouldn’t be as smooth as I anticipated.
When I moved to Montreal, I thought my previous experience of moving to a foreign country would make adjusting here a breeze. After all, I’m familiar with cultural adaptation, learning a new language, and navigating the challenges that come with it. However, reality hit me hard, and I’ve come to realize that even I am finding it difficult to settle down in this new place.
Reading the experiences shared by all of you on this post is incredibly insightful. It provides me with valuable arguments and perspectives that I will definitely incorporate into my internal thoughts. It’s comforting to know that I’m not alone in this struggle and that others have faced similar challenges.
Moving to a new country, regardless of one’s background, is always a daunting task. It involves adapting to a new culture, learning new customs, and building a social network from scratch. It can be an overwhelming experience, even for someone who has done it before.
But amidst the difficulties, there is also growth. We learn to be resilient, to embrace change, and to appreciate the beauty of diversity. Each day brings new opportunities for personal development and a deeper understanding of the world around us. And it’s through sharing our experiences, like the one in this post, that we can find solace, encouragement, and the strength to keep going.
So, thank you, everyone, for your heartfelt stories and insights. They have reminded me that this journey, though challenging, is worth every moment”
”I find it interesting that you don’t like the laid-back style. I can’t wait to leave this hamster-wheel rat race here in Canada and slow down”
”I felt that same way for a few years after arriving here. But, I stuck it out, built a business for myself, and I am so happy I stuck it out. I have no regrets, and I feel really fortunate”
”Your thoughts are valid! I’ve been living here for about 7 months now and I work for a Spanish company. I think if I was here not needing to work or worked remotely (earning not a Spanish salary) my experience would be different. Also hearing what local people say about their government and their frustrations also has given perspective. I earn about half of what I did back in Canada and my salary in Andalucía is a lot higher than the average here. Bureaucracy is frustrating to deal with and never goes smoothly, but it’s helped me appreciate Canada more in that sense! I‘ve had an amazing experience here, but as a young professional I am not too upset about going back to Canada (I only have a visa for a year here). I would definitely consider Spain for retirement or living here in the future when I can afford the same lifestyle I have back home”
”Europe is great for retirement, not so for working due to taxes, convalidations, cultural differences and experience. Added to that that we’re in huge disadvantage in respect to languages (and I’m fluent in 5 written and spoken, but most Canadians are hardly bilingual)”
”I think there are a lot of things to dissect here. First of all, moving abroad is never easy, bureaucracy is a bitch everywhere, and integrating, being accepted and making friends with born-and-raised locals takes time no matter where you move to.
When we moved to Canada in 1994, we had to re-do our driver’s licences (just like now, here…). The residency application took from February to August for to get the interview, and then the results of the medical exams took another 3 1/2 months…
Our first rental apartment for our family of 3 (myself, my husband and our 16-month-old toddler) was a basement apartment where one of the bedrooms could only be accessed from the hallway outside of the main apartment…
When we bought our first apartment (long before the age of easily accessible information on the internet), nobody – not even our realtor – told us that we could try and negotiate the (back then exorbitant) mortgage interest rate.
We didn’t have any ‘born-and-raised’ local friends until we moved to a bigger city and became friends with 2 of the neighbouring families in our cul-de-sac. Then it took another 2 years to make more local friends through a lucky coincidence that brought me into a ‘mothers group’ shortly after our second child was born.
By the time we left Calgary after 20 years, we had a very big circle of friends, but more than half were other immigrants from either my country of origin (Germany) or my husband’s (Brazil).
If you move somewhere new, you have to make peace with the fact that it’s always going to be easier to make friends with other newcomers than with born-and-raised (or at least long-time) locals. The latter have very strong – and often tightly woven – social networks, they are busy with their extended families and their friends that they’ve likely known since high school or uni… They simply don’t have space in their lives for a bunch of new friends.
The whole “making friends with locals” thing gets even more difficult if you don’t speak the local language fluently. It’s tedious to have a conversation with someone with broken language skills, and it’s very difficult for both sides to have meaningful exchanges that can lead to a real friendship.
Having resettled in a new country seven times, I can tell you, it’s never easy and it always takes time to settle in and feel at home. What you have to decide is whether it’s worth the effort. Are the positives important enough to work through the hard beginnings? Are there things that you feel you would never be able to accept, that would drive you crazy over time? For me, in Rio de Janeiro, that was the lack of personal space/respect for my personal bubble and the violence encountered in everyday life. For you, it sounds like work culture and work ethics could be a sticking point. Or do you see yourself maybe one day coming to appreciate the Spanish “work to live” attitude (instead of the Canadian “live to work” attitude) and embracing long lunch breaks?
If you think it’s worth a shot, you’ll have to give it at least 2 or 3 years to settle in”
”I would probably go through red tape with lawyers etc to avoid manana as much as possible. I have respect for people who know what they like (or dont) and are not afraid to look till they find it or choose again an again but the treasure might be right in front of your eyes”
”I hate earning half pay, salaries are bad, inflation worse than any raises too. The worst unemployment rate in the western world, so we can’t complain or demand more”
In conclusion, according to Spainguru Facebook group members, consider exploring different regions within Spain before deciding to return to your home country, as the different regions in Spain offer different experiences. North offers a good quality of life. Give yourself time to adjust, focusing on what you enjoy about Spain and the growth that comes from challenges. Embrace the laid-back lifestyle, or consider Spain for retirement due to its cultural richness. Understand that moving abroad presents difficulties like bureaucracy and integration, but making peace with this process is vital. Language fluency build definitely affect building local friendships, so an effort needs to be done too. Ultimately, evaluate if the positives outweigh the negatives, allowing a few years for full adjustment before making a final decision.
