25 Signs You Studied Abroad In Spain

There have been many times when I have said “BuzzFeed knows my life.” There are many relatable posts on there, but I recently found one that I believe was 99.9% accurate! It’s called ’25 signs you studied abroad in Spain,’ and written by the community member mrolyn3. Below I will copy the list of sings that were listed and give my personal opinion on each.

1. You are used to Spaniards talking incredibly fast.

Spaniards do speak really fast. I’m a native Spanish speaker and when I first arrived in Spain if my host mom had friends or family members over I could barely keep up with their conversations. But I’ve here for 3+ months now so I’m used to it.

2. And most of the time you have no idea what they are saying.

The Spanish spoken in Spain has very distinctive pronunciations and accents. Some are harder to understand than others.

3. But you know the most important world to use is “Vale”

Getting used to the word “Vale” took sometime but now I use it without even thinking about it, basically it means “Ok.”

4. And of course “Chupitos”

Chupitos is the Spanish word for shots. (alcoholic shots)

5. Sangria is very important to you

This one I find very interesting because although Sangria is the alcoholic beverage of choice for most American students studying in Spain, the locals don’t frequently drink it.

6. Paella means everything.

Paella is one of Spain’s most typical dishes. It’s similar to rice but with sea food mixed in. Paella can be found almost everywhere. It is very unlikely for a tapas bar to not serve Paella.

7. Patatas Bravas, Churros, Tortillas, and Bocadillos are your life.

I don’t know if I would go as far as to say that these food items are my life, but I do eat them frequently. *Spanish tortillas are not the same as the tortillas that most of us are used to, it is actually a dish made of potatoes and my host mom usually makes it once per week. Bocadillos are the word that the Spanish use for sandwiches, if there’s ever a day when I won’t be able to make it to the house for lunch, want to guess what my host mom makes me? Yup…a bocadillo! Oh, and these are usually just bread and meat (ham, turkey, chorizo, etc. or meat and cheese, no veggies.)

8. It seems like every town you explore has a castle.

Yes! Yes! & Yes! All of the cities within Spain that I have visited have been very historical and have had castles.

9. And you never get used to the beautiful sights around you.

Every day is a new adventure and I’m constantly finding sights that I had never noticed before.

10. Like Palacio Real, La Alhambra, and Parque Guell.

Of these three I have only actually seen La Alhambra, but it was absolutely breath taking!

11. You’ve seen at least one Flamenco show.

Flamenco shows are everywhere! There are auditoriums that host Flamenco dance shows but there are so some bars that have shows almost every night.

12. But your own attempts at Flamenco need some work.

Ummhmmm. I gave Sevillanas dance class (a specific form of Flamenco) a try and it definitely was not for me. I went to class once and didn’t go back.

13. You’ve learned to devote your life to Futbol.

I’ve always been somewhat interested in soccer but never as much as I am now that I’m in Spain. But how can I not be? Its everywhere!

14. And chances are you feel very strongly towards either FC Barcelona or Real Madrid.

REAL MADRIDDDDDD!

I ❤ Ronaldo!

15. Siesta is a very important part of your day.

For the first couple of weeks I was in Spain I could not function normally if I didn’t have at least a 30 minute siesta. I can’t always take a siesta now because I’m a lot busier but if I can squeeze it into my schedule, I definitely do!

16. Because at night its time to Fiesta.

I don’t go out a lot, but yes, Spanish night life is a big deal

17. And you know the party doesn’t die down until at least 5:00 am.

I’ve yet to stay out that late, but the Spanish do tend to stay out very late. It’s not that they necessarily party for longer hours than what we are used to, it’s that they tend to start the party at around 2 am.

18. You can always count on El Corte Ingles to have everything.

El Corte Ingles is basically the Spanish version of Walmart, it has everything and anything that you might need. The main difference between the two is that El Corte Ingles has much higher quality clothing and can be quite pricey.

19. The Spanish are terrifying drivers.

I don’t know how I’m still alive. I’ve been close to being ran over a bagillion of times!

20. Spanish people are some of the most attractive humans you’ve ever seen.

Ummmhmmm. Want an example? ENRIQUE IGLESIAS! Not only are they attractive but Spaniards are always very well dressed.

21. Catalan, Valenciano, and Basque are still a complete mystery to you.

Want to speak to me in those languages? Might as well speak Chinese, I’ll have no idea what you are saying either way.

22. You don’t even care that you’ve spent all of your money while traveling.

I know I’ll have no money by the time I return home, but I’m taking every opportunity that I get to travel. After all, I’m young and I’ll be working all summer!

23. Because every weekend in Spain was magical.

Every weekend, even those when I wasn’t doing anything extraordinary was a weekend spent in Spain that I’ll never be able to relive and was special in some way.

24. You can’t wait to show off your Spanish back at home.

I already spoke Spanish before coming to Spain but my vocabulary has certainly increased! (:

25. And you’re heartbroken about leaving because you know that Spain is one of the best countries in the entire world!

I’ve had the opportunity to travel out of the country a couple of times and even though I have loved every place that I have visited, nothing makes me happier than to return to to Sevilla, Spain, because after all, this is my home at the time.