At first sight

At the moment of arrival in Spain everything about my life changed, even if it’s just for the next five months. There were so many sensations I could not explain. Everything was new, from the sound of Spanish at every waking moment to the feel of the detailed cobble stoned sidewalks underneath my feet.

Throughout life, there have been so many small things that my senses have naturally adjusted to and thus become internalized. It’s like when someone comes to your house for the first time and they notice something that on a daily basis, you often forget or ignore.

In the house I grew up in, from the time I was born until I was 17 years old, my kitchen suggested we lived on a cow farm (which we do not). My mother had always collected kitchen items that were cow themed. Black and white cows were even hand-painted on the walls creating a boarder along the entire kitchen.

When people came to my house for the first time, the sight was new and they were shocked. However, it seemed quite normal to me, I was so accustomed to having dozens of cows painted on my walls paired with matching cow accessories.

There is a feeling that is similar when you go to a new country. The newcomer doesn’t know what to expect and the ones who are so used to their own environment don’t take the time to help you—possibly they just don’t see why one would need help.

Coming to this strange and foreign land has opened my eyes for maybe the first time. People live differently than I do, very differently. The way I see people interacting, greeting one another, and enjoying their free time—it’s not the same as where I’m from.

Getting off the metro in the evenings, the squares are mobbed with people of all ages. Kids are playing in the park, parents are eating tapas near by, and young people are drinking in the streets. People are not social in their homes; it’s a very public affair.

Geographically this is just not possible where I am from. This kind of socialization in the streets, running from bar to bar isn’t just strange it would be quite frowned upon. Drinking, socializing, and playing in the streets is considered loitering. If I were to walk around the streets of my beloved college town with all my friends, drinks in hand we would surely get arrested.