Post: #1

So after more than a decade in Spain, I have decided to return to the US. My reasons? Well, I know there is a lot of US bashing here about how "terrible" it is but I actually think Western Europe is in worse shape.

1. Forget about "intellectual life" in Spain or "intelligent discussions". Sure, I know that in the US most people aren't walking around having "deep" discussions of any sort, but believe me the level of debate is far higher in the US or the UK compared to Spain. I have lived here for ages now and most people are VERY PASSIVE and don't really care either way about what's happening. I know many people here will tell me Americans are dumb or ignorant. That may be the case, but then, so are MANY Europeans I have met. Most people in Spain not only don't have any deep debate, but whenever there is a deep discussion people get VERY VERY offended in ways that make even the worst US sjw look conservative. There really is no debate culture here. Take that as you will. In the US, there may be a lot of idiots, but you have many more options if you REALLY look for it and want to have discussion on this or that topic. There are forums and groups for everyone there.

2. Spain is very cheap by London, Paris or New York standards. Outside Madrid and Barcelona, you can really live a relatively comfortable existence (NO LUXURIES THOUGH) for about 1000 euros/month. That may sound nice, but of course, the salaries are among the lowest in the world. You can easily work (as is my case) for 40 hours per week and make 1000 € net pay. So you get "free" healthcare (you pay for it and your employer through taxes, so it's not really "free"). Rents are cheap where I live. But if you even think about being promoted or changing jobs here, FORGET ABOUT IT. You need to have really good connections for that. Yes, yes, I know the US is becoming the same but it is nowhere near as bad as it is here, believe me. That's ok if you want to do a brief stint here, but it's not a future I want.

3. Shallow culture. If all you like is sun, party and tapas, sitting outside all day and drinking beer or whatever, then yes, by all means come to Spain. But for me there are other things in life. Sure, Spain has history. So what? If you want history you can always travel to it and take it in briefly. The US may not have centuries and centuries of history, but there are many historical places. I do not accept European scorn or arrogance...especially when it is a continent that cannot do anything without looking to the US for help. Europeans will lecture you about how awful the US is, but they ignore their own very serious problems. Western Europeans are in no condition to lecture Americans on most topics except, perhaps, violence (but violence is also the sign of a more dynamic society in some ways)...of people who take a stand. Believe me, looking out your window and seeing the same people everyday sitting outside, laughing and rotting without any hope of fixing the future gets old real fast. If you even mention these things to Spanish people A LOT OF THEM will say "qué pesado" - which translates as "you're so annoying and negative!" I've even mentioned this to some Spanish people who do think and they agree with me that this country is for the most part herd mentality, shallow, superficial and not a place for people who want to "perfect" themselves.

4. Women: Women here are just as feminist if NOT MORE than in the US.Trust me, you're not going to find "traditional" women here. I'm not going to get into the physical aspect because that's a matter of personal taste, but I don't really care for Spanish women either way.

5. Climate: People tell me oh but the weather where I'm from in the US is terrible, but so what? USA has a climate for all tastes: you can get tropical, Mediterranean, continental....it's a non issue for me at this point.

6. No true democracy: Yes, yes, I know the US system "sucks" for many people and probably a lot of guys here will tell me it's terrible over there but trust me, when you see how Spain's political system works you will think the US is a paradise when it comes to legitimate representation. I am a federalist and hate Spanish centralism and of course, European Union diktats. This is a HEAVILY PRO EU country but that's not surprising considering how passive the Spanish really are. I dare anyone to call me out on this one. Most people who stay to live in Spain and come from England or some other Northern European countries OR the US, tell me they agree with me on this issue.

These are obviously just my opinions and I don't intend to convince you that it is the Gospel on Spain. But I am convinced after many years that it's not the ideal place to live if you want to improve yourself. The country is majority Beta, certainly not Alpha in any way.

The difficult thing for me is going to be finding a job in the US. Getting hired over there seems to be much tougher for my profile. But I can't go through life without taking risks and at least trying something new. There are many more reasons as to why I am leaving this place eventually, but I don't want to bore you with a long post. We can discuss more if there is a good discussion.

In summary, I will just say Europe is no paradise. No place on earth is a true paradise, but many people in the US seem to think that about Euroland.

Post: #2

I think any small to mid-size city in America you will have a job market similar to what you described in the outer areas of Spain with a cost of living perhaps a bit higher. Only in the large metropolitan areas will you have the ability to job-hop with some ease, but the cost of living goes up of course.

That's about all I have to offer on it. I would do some research before making that plunge. Zillow.com is a good tool for getting an idea about rent costs for an area. And perhaps city-data.com for other intel.

Post: #3

(08-11-2016 01:46 PM)Onto Wrote:  I think any small to mid-size city in America you will have a job market similar to what you described in the outer areas of Spain with a cost of living perhaps a bit higher. Only in the large metropolitan areas will you have the ability to job-hop with some ease, but the cost of living goes up of course.

That's about all I have to offer on it. I would do some research before making that plunge. Zillow.com is a good tool for getting an idea about rent costs for an area. And perhaps city-data.com for other intel.

Well, in my case I am lucky that I already have an apartment in the US so housing will not be the problem. The problem for me is the job market over there. Here it's terrible but there is more demand for private lessons (Which is what I do) and educational stuff...especially if you speak English, than in the US.

Returning to the US...I will be in a major city. But it is also tough to find a job especially when sending your résumé from Spain. Most employers will of course not bother to respond, etc. We shall see...but although it's a big plunge after so many years away from the US, I feel confident enough to do it (helps to have an apartment though).

Post: #4

With your experience in Spain why not start up a service in the U.S. working for yourself? There would be any number of options for you- Teaching Spanish classes, private Spanish tutoring, translation, interpretation, etc. In fact you could be doing some of these right now fairly easily starting on sites like Upwork etc.

You could also continue teaching English to your students in Spain via Skype and expand that out to running an online English school, using those current students to help spread the word. You could play up the fact that it's convenient for them as they can do it from anywhere with an internet connection instead of having to meet up.

Instead of looking to be employed by someone else and likely not using the decade of great experience you've gained you should look to leverage all that experience to the max and start your own business.

Post: #5

(08-11-2016 03:09 PM)GlobalMan Wrote:  With your experience in Spain why not start up a service in the U.S. working for yourself? There would be any number of options for you- Teaching Spanish classes, private Spanish tutoring, translation, interpretation, etc. In fact you could be doing some of these right now fairly easily starting on sites like Upwork etc.

You could also continue teaching English to your students in Spain via Skype and expand that out to running an online English school, using those current students to help spread the word. You could play up the fact that it's convenient for them as they can do it from anywhere with an internet connection instead of having to meet up.

Instead of looking to be employed by someone else and likely not using the decade of great experience you've gained you should look to leverage all that experience to the max and start your own business.

I have definitely thought about that - but even though teaching languages is the easiest thing at this point (because it's what I've been boxed into doing), it's not really my field. I'm a Science/Finance guy with a Math degree. But yes, those are definitely options. At this point I really just want to get into a more business-like environment though, one more related to numbers or some kind of analysis.

Post: #6

GlobalMan made a good point and I want to add the following:

Employees in the US are being stretched thinner (for less $) than ever before. If you're returning with a mindset of going to work for someone else and not making moves (early and often) to start you're own thing... you run the risk of having a more "high-energy" version of the burnout you feel in Spain.

Math degree, multiple languages seem like two qualifications that can open a lot of doors.

Another point, especially if you haven't been back in a while, is that people are off-the-charts fat and sloppy. For your short-term employment prospects, staying lean and wearing clothes that fit will do almost as much for you as your skillset...

Coming back to the US with your skillset and a dope story about managing on your own for 10 years in a foreign country while looking sharp... coupled with your housing situation taken care of... Baldrich, you've got more going for you than you may think!

Post: #7

Way to judge a whole continent from having lived in one country...

Post: #8

(08-11-2016 04:59 PM)Baldwin81 Wrote:  GlobalMan made a good point and I want to add the following:

Employees in the US are being stretched thinner (for less $) than ever before. If you're returning with a mindset of going to work for someone else and not making moves (early and often) to start you're own thing... you run the risk of having a more "high-energy" version of the burnout you feel in Spain.

Math degree, multiple languages seem like two qualifications that can open a lot of doors.

Another point, especially if you haven't been back in a while, is that people are off-the-charts fat and sloppy. For your short-term employment prospects, staying lean and wearing clothes that fit will do almost as much for you as your skillset...

Coming back to the US with your skillset and a dope story about managing on your own for 10 years in a foreign country while looking sharp... coupled with your housing situation taken care of... Baldrich, you've got more going for you than you may think!

Physically, I am quite thin (not scrawny), very fit looking...medium height (in Spain), probably on the shorter end by US average height standards. I do tend to go back during Summers or Christmas and yes, the amount of fat people amazes me. It's ironic because the US used to be known WAY BACK for tall and thin people. If you watch any American film pre 1990s, everyone for the most part looks fit. Here in Spain the people are dressing more and more terrible as time goes by, but at least there is no obesity problem (yet), although with young children it is starting).


I'm encouraged by your post! We'll see how it goes. At this point I'm just going through the motions in Spain...getting paid for a relatively easy job but bored in general. More than a decade ago I really thought Europe was "it". Now I see it for what it is: overrated and suffers a huge democratic deficit. Spain still has NO government...but it doesn't matter anyway since Europe decides what economic policies they should have, etc. And nobody seems to either worry or care. In fact they just voted in a second time a very corrupt government.Now, yes, I know that there is corruption in the US but people do get punished for it eventually and there is more accountability. Here? This place is such a joke in more than one way...and most of the people who will be the harshest critics are thinking Spaniards.

Post: #9

(08-11-2016 05:07 PM)Guayacan Wrote:  Way to judge a whole continent from having lived in one country...

I've lived (briefly) in other parts of Europe as well and travel very frequently. For the most part, there are similar problems in Southern Europe. And I was referring more specifically to Spain, not an entire continent in a general way. Even so, Europe (FOR ME) is overrated with the exception of some Northern European countries.

Post: #10

Can you suggest some second or third tier cities that are cheaper but aren't boring.

Post: #11

(08-11-2016 05:24 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  Can you suggest some second or third tier cities that are cheaper but aren't boring.

Valencia is a second tier city in Spain that is very laid back and most people mind their own business, which I love. People don't stare there like they do in so many other parts of Spain. Another good city is Malaga (but there are very expensive areas) and if you go third tier, Cadiz is an excellent place...but quite far South.

I don't recommend any city in Castilla-Leon or Castilla-La Mancha...those are basically the central plains. I would also recommend Santiago de Compostela. Galicia in the northwest Atlantic coast is wonderful if you don't mind rain rain rain and green scenery all year round.

Post: #12

what countries would you say are worth living for awhile or at least not overrated then? just out of curiosity.

Post: #13

(08-11-2016 05:37 PM)TigerTim Wrote:  what countries would you say are worth living for awhile or at least not overrated then? just out of curiosity.

Well, you are never going to find a perfect or ideal country. They all have their pitfalls. But depending on the kind of person you are and what your ambitions are, I say that there are countries better suited to an "alpha" personality than others. If you are a very confident man, a "go getter", intelligent and competent, you will not be very happy or satisfied in Spain. In fact, most of the highest achievers here LEAVE the country because this is no place for them. Even the "elite" send their children to the US or the UK because of the superior school and legal systems. So if you are the ambitious type, if you don't like putting up with red tape and endless BS as well as people who won't give it to you straight, Spain is not right for you. For me, the US is far more friendly to daring and entrepreneurial types than most of Europe.

If you are just in the US and cannot compare all of this won't make sense but once you start making comparisons and getting in the facts, as well as life experiences (Which vary for everyone, granted) you will agree with some points here.

Post: #14

(08-11-2016 05:07 PM)Guayacan Wrote:  Way to judge a whole continent from having lived in one country...

Were you really that offended by his straightforward and accurate assessment?

If you have something to say about it then point out where you disagree.

Post: #15

I’ve lived in Spain for a while.

Deep discussions, yes, I got them, and deeper than in the US. But for this, you need to have friends, and having friends in Spain is much more "complicated" than in the US: it takes time. In Spain, friends are for real and not just temporary acquaintances to do activities as most Americans just have. Actually, after having lived in the US for several years I came to the conclusion that Americans don’t have friends, just acquaintances. You guys move too much/too often to have any real friendships. The family component is very important, as well. It looks like you have not had

Question: how many times did you move during these ten years?

Feminism? Yes, it is exactly the same shit. Spain is importing American feminism, not the other way around. Thank you, USA.

Jobs/Career? I totally agree. If you are ambitious, get out of there ASAP.

Post: #16

(08-11-2016 07:30 PM)pater familias Wrote:  I’ve lived in Spain for a while.

Deep discussions, yes, I got them, and deeper than in the US. But for this, you need to have friends, and having friends in Spain is much more "complicated" than in the US: it takes time. In Spain, friends are for real and not just temporary acquaintances to do activities as most Americans just have. Actually, after having lived in the US for several years I came to the conclusion that Americans don’t have friends, just acquaintances. You guys move too much/too often to have any real friendships. The family component is very important, as well. It looks like you have not had

Question: how many times did you move during these ten years?

Feminism? Yes, it is exactly the same shit. Spain is importing American feminism, not the other way around. Thank you, USA.

Jobs/Career? I totally agree. If you are ambitious, get out of there ASAP.

Re: Friends -

My experience has been the opposite. For the exception of a FEW PEOPLE who I can count on on hand, I find the Spanish quite shallow. It is not uncommon to spend time with someone here and then travel abroad and have them forget you or just not care to keep in touch or send a card. I'm not discarding your experience, but my experience has been the opposite.

I agree, to some extent, about "acquaintances" in the US...but that's because we are very individualistic and love our personal freedom. We do not like to be limited to a location or "tribe". That's one of the things I really find limiting about Spain. People are obsessed with "what their family" thinks or what others think, but not enough individualism for my taste. People in many cases would rather choose unemployment instead of moving from their town. Most Spanish dress the same, eat the same, NO DIVERSITY whatsoever...very dull people in general and one thing I find really scary is that, for example, if you wear a red shirt (just an example) and one person says "oh aren't you hot with that?" I swear EVERY SINGLE Spaniard will make the EXACT same comment. It's almost like they conspired beforehand to make the same comment.

As to your question about moving, I have lived here actually more than ten years and have not moved anywhere else. But I find Spanish people like to put people in boxes. If you are American, you will ALWAYS be "El Americano" and make comments that are totally ignorant as in, if they are serving hamburgers people say crap like "oh you should feel at home, hamburgers for dinner". As if Americans only ate hot dogs and hamburgers.

I do consider myself ambitious and even the Spaniards ask me astonished "WHY ARE YOU HERE??" They are right and that is why I have decided to pack my bags and leave this place. I can get sun and palm trees in many US locations if that's an issue.

Post: #17

A lot of the things you say are just standard disgruntled expat things that people say in a lot of places when they can no longer adapt to the host culture.

There are not many countries that are driven by cultures that approximate anglo style ambitions.

I can name them here: Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, U.K., U.S., New Zealand, China, Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Switzerland.

That's really it. If you're expecting more from countries outside of the group I mentioned then you are trying to fit square pegs into round holes. If you're an ambitious hardworking person you must carve yourself out a niche in the host culture AND adapt socially otherwise you end up disgruntled.

What I see here is just the standard failure to adapt story. If you let emotions drive too much of your daily interactions you will end up frazzled and angry.

As a 10+ year expat in (mostly) southeast asia now I can tell you that at a certain point you must take on a zen like patience when dealing with people. It is possible to surround yourself with like minded people and accomplish many things intellectual or business orientated. Why do you think ethnic Chinese enclaves in SEA are so successful?

The mistake is trying to argue with locals over trivialities and trying to influence the host culture. At some point you realize you just have to live and let live.

Post: #18

In the OP are points to agree and to disagree on. However, this is RVF and I want to focus on the girls.

Girls in the south are, besides from Sevilla, really nice. Warm, slim, sexy, a hint of traditional. When you move then from the
south to a big City like Barcelona or Madrid you will immediately notice a huge drop in quality. It could be because of the degree of internationalization or simply because of the big city life. What so ever, as many people already said, don't come to Madrid for women.

Side note: Generalising all Europeans does not work well. We are to divers bro ;-)

Post: #19

(08-11-2016 08:52 PM)El Chinito loco Wrote:  A lot of the things you say are just standard disgruntled expat things that people say in a lot of places when they can no longer adapt to the host culture.

There are not many countries that are driven by cultures that approximate anglo style ambitions.

I can name them here: Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, U.K., U.S., New Zealand, China, Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Switzerland.

That's really it. If you're expecting more from countries outside of the group I mentioned then you are trying to fit square pegs into round holes. If you're an ambitious hardworking person you must carve yourself out a niche in the host culture AND adapt socially otherwise you end up disgruntled.

What I see here is just the standard failure to adapt story. If you let emotions drive too much of your daily interactions you will end up frazzled and angry.

As a 10+ year expat in (mostly) southeast asia now I can tell you that at a certain point you must take on a zen like patience when dealing with people. It is possible to surround yourself with like minded people and accomplish many things intellectual or business orientated. Why do you think ethnic Chinese enclaves in SEA are so successful?

The mistake is trying to argue with locals over trivialities and trying to influence the host culture. At some point you realize you just have to live and let live.

But the thing is I do adapt to the culture because I speak FLUENTLY and have Spanish or if some prefer, "Catalan" blood. So adapting here has not been difficult in a linguistic or even cultural sense. Many things are familiar to me...but that doesn't mean I like them. There comes a point in life when you really have to choose or should choose, what you really value. I used to hate when people called me "el Americano" despite my native accent but after so many years, I now love it and take it with pride in a way.

You use the word "disgruntled". Not at all in my case. I'm more just a classic case of "jaded".

You are spot on with that list by the way! The most valuable lesson I've learned here is two things:

1. Despite having background in Spain, I'm no where near as "native" as I thought I would be.

2. People tend to be the same everywhere....mediocrity is a common characteristic, but at least in SOME countries, one can be ambitious and it is accepted. Not here.

I am as "adapted" as they come: fluent in Spanish, family connections here...knowledge of the culture...but perhaps because I know it so well I've ended up this way.

Post: #20

(08-11-2016 08:26 PM)Baldrich Wrote:  

(08-11-2016 07:30 PM)pater familias Wrote:  I’ve lived in Spain for a while.

Deep discussions, yes, I got them, and deeper than in the US. But for this, you need to have friends, and having friends in Spain is much more "complicated" than in the US: it takes time. In Spain, friends are for real and not just temporary acquaintances to do activities as most Americans just have. Actually, after having lived in the US for several years I came to the conclusion that Americans don’t have friends, just acquaintances. You guys move too much/too often to have any real friendships. The family component is very important, as well. It looks like you have not had

Question: how many times did you move during these ten years?

Feminism? Yes, it is exactly the same shit. Spain is importing American feminism, not the other way around. Thank you, USA.

Jobs/Career? I totally agree. If you are ambitious, get out of there ASAP.

Re: Friends -

My experience has been the opposite. For the exception of a FEW PEOPLE who I can count on on hand, I find the Spanish quite shallow. It is not uncommon to spend time with someone here and then travel abroad and have them forget you or just not care to keep in touch or send a card. I'm not discarding your experience, but my experience has been the opposite.

I agree, to some extent, about "acquaintances" in the US...but that's because we are very individualistic and love our personal freedom. We do not like to be limited to a location or "tribe". That's one of the things I really find limiting about Spain. People are obsessed with "what their family" thinks or what others think, but not enough individualism for my taste. People in many cases would rather choose unemployment instead of moving from their town. Most Spanish dress the same, eat the same, NO DIVERSITY whatsoever...very dull people in general and one thing I find really scary is that, for example, if you wear a red shirt (just an example) and one person says "oh aren't you hot with that?" I swear EVERY SINGLE Spaniard will make the EXACT same comment. It's almost like they conspired beforehand to make the same comment.

As to your question about moving, I have lived here actually more than ten years and have not moved anywhere else. But I find Spanish people like to put people in boxes. If you are American, you will ALWAYS be "El Americano" and make comments that are totally ignorant as in, if they are serving hamburgers people say crap like "oh you should feel at home, hamburgers for dinner". As if Americans only ate hot dogs and hamburgers.

I do consider myself ambitious and even the Spaniards ask me astonished "WHY ARE YOU HERE??" They are right and that is why I have decided to pack my bags and leave this place. I can get sun and palm trees in many US locations if that's an issue.

Don't ever go to Asia.

Post: #21

(08-11-2016 09:06 PM)semibaron Wrote:  In the OP are points to agree and to disagree on. However, this is RVF and I want to focus on the girls.

Girls in the south are, besides from Sevilla, really nice. Warm, slim, sexy, a hint of traditional. When you move then from the
south to a big City like Barcelona or Madrid you will immediately notice a huge drop in quality. It could be because of the degree of internationalization or simply because of the big city life. What so ever, as many people already said, don't come to Madrid for women.

Side note: Generalising all Europeans does not work well. We are to divers bro ;-)

Re -- Girls. Yes, the further deep South you go the more "traditional" but this is no paradise for men...EVEN in the small southern villages you get plenty of bad attitudes. I agree that the quality drops drastically in cities like Madrid or Barcelona. Madrid would be the worst city if you are looking for women.

Side note: I'm not generalizing "Europeans"...but I insist that Europe is much more deficient in political areas like representation than the US. Maybe I am biased, but after seeing how Europe works and how dysfunctional the system is, God Bless America. I would have never said that 10 years ago, but now I do.

Post: #22

(08-11-2016 09:08 PM)semibaron Wrote:  

(08-11-2016 08:26 PM)Baldrich Wrote:  

(08-11-2016 07:30 PM)pater familias Wrote:  I’ve lived in Spain for a while.

Deep discussions, yes, I got them, and deeper than in the US. But for this, you need to have friends, and having friends in Spain is much more "complicated" than in the US: it takes time. In Spain, friends are for real and not just temporary acquaintances to do activities as most Americans just have. Actually, after having lived in the US for several years I came to the conclusion that Americans don’t have friends, just acquaintances. You guys move too much/too often to have any real friendships. The family component is very important, as well. It looks like you have not had

Question: how many times did you move during these ten years?

Feminism? Yes, it is exactly the same shit. Spain is importing American feminism, not the other way around. Thank you, USA.

Jobs/Career? I totally agree. If you are ambitious, get out of there ASAP.

Re: Friends -

My experience has been the opposite. For the exception of a FEW PEOPLE who I can count on on hand, I find the Spanish quite shallow. It is not uncommon to spend time with someone here and then travel abroad and have them forget you or just not care to keep in touch or send a card. I'm not discarding your experience, but my experience has been the opposite.

I agree, to some extent, about "acquaintances" in the US...but that's because we are very individualistic and love our personal freedom. We do not like to be limited to a location or "tribe". That's one of the things I really find limiting about Spain. People are obsessed with "what their family" thinks or what others think, but not enough individualism for my taste. People in many cases would rather choose unemployment instead of moving from their town. Most Spanish dress the same, eat the same, NO DIVERSITY whatsoever...very dull people in general and one thing I find really scary is that, for example, if you wear a red shirt (just an example) and one person says "oh aren't you hot with that?" I swear EVERY SINGLE Spaniard will make the EXACT same comment. It's almost like they conspired beforehand to make the same comment.

As to your question about moving, I have lived here actually more than ten years and have not moved anywhere else. But I find Spanish people like to put people in boxes. If you are American, you will ALWAYS be "El Americano" and make comments that are totally ignorant as in, if they are serving hamburgers people say crap like "oh you should feel at home, hamburgers for dinner". As if Americans only ate hot dogs and hamburgers.

I do consider myself ambitious and even the Spaniards ask me astonished "WHY ARE YOU HERE??" They are right and that is why I have decided to pack my bags and leave this place. I can get sun and palm trees in many US locations if that's an issue.

Don't ever go to Asia.

Wasn't planning on it. I don't find Asian women attractive in any way shape or form.

Post: #23

(08-11-2016 08:26 PM)Baldrich Wrote:  

(08-11-2016 07:30 PM)pater familias Wrote:  I’ve lived in Spain for a while.

Deep discussions, yes, I got them, and deeper than in the US. But for this, you need to have friends, and having friends in Spain is much more "complicated" than in the US: it takes time. In Spain, friends are for real and not just temporary acquaintances to do activities as most Americans just have. Actually, after having lived in the US for several years I came to the conclusion that Americans don’t have friends, just acquaintances. You guys move too much/too often to have any real friendships. The family component is very important, as well. It looks like you have not had

Question: how many times did you move during these ten years?

Feminism? Yes, it is exactly the same shit. Spain is importing American feminism, not the other way around. Thank you, USA.

Jobs/Career? I totally agree. If you are ambitious, get out of there ASAP.

Re: Friends -

My experience has been the opposite. For the exception of a FEW PEOPLE who I can count on on hand, I find the Spanish quite shallow. It is not uncommon to spend time with someone here and then travel abroad and have them forget you or just not care to keep in touch or send a card. I'm not discarding your experience, but my experience has been the opposite.

I agree, to some extent, about "acquaintances" in the US...but that's because we are very individualistic and love our personal freedom. We do not like to be limited to a location or "tribe". That's one of the things I really find limiting about Spain. People are obsessed with "what their family" thinks or what others think, but not enough individualism for my taste. People in many cases would rather choose unemployment instead of moving from their town. Most Spanish dress the same, eat the same, NO DIVERSITY whatsoever...very dull people in general and one thing I find really scary is that, for example, if you wear a red shirt (just an example) and one person says "oh aren't you hot with that?" I swear EVERY SINGLE Spaniard will make the EXACT same comment. It's almost like they conspired beforehand to make the same comment.

As to your question about moving, I have lived here actually more than ten years and have not moved anywhere else. But I find Spanish people like to put people in boxes. If you are American, you will ALWAYS be "El Americano" and make comments that are totally ignorant as in, if they are serving hamburgers people say crap like "oh you should feel at home, hamburgers for dinner". As if Americans only ate hot dogs and hamburgers.

I do consider myself ambitious and even the Spaniards ask me astonished "WHY ARE YOU HERE??" They are right and that is why I have decided to pack my bags and leave this place. I can get sun and palm trees in many US locations if that's an issue.

As I thought, you tried to have an American life in Spain.

Friendship: travelling abroad is fine, but you should do it with your friends, not solo. Spaniards hardly ever travel solo. It is too boring/loner for them.

Spaniards are not "obsessed" with family, they just care about it, because it is important to them. Spain is not like the US, where people divorce 300 million times and move home 100 million more. Social relationships are Spaniard’s lives.

"People in many cases would rather choose unemployment instead of moving from their town." Yup. Spaniards love their people.

"Most Spanish dress the same, eat the same, NO DIVERSITY whatsoever..." In Spain, there are Spaniards, same culture, same tastes, why the hell should they dress differently? "Diversity"? Fuck that. The only ones who want diversity in Spain are the leftards that copy the American left.

About the red t-shirt comment. It is not a conspiracy, it is just that they have the same culture, same cultural references. That would happen in every other country of the World. Actually, the t-shirt thing is more of smalltalk than anything else.

About the "el Americano" thing, I don’t know where you live, but probably in Catalonia that would have not happened (conditional on you learning the Catalan language). They are more used to immigration, more of a merchant culture there.

And yes, I also asked myself why were you there...

Living in a foreign country requires an integration effort that seems you were not ready to do. It happened to me in a couple of countries I lived. It is tough decision. Roosh recorded a video, talking about these things recently.

I hope it helped!

Post: #24

The women in the Basque country are some of the most beautiful I've seen.
The food there is fresh but definitely an acquired taste.

Post: #25

hey Baldrich, I sent you a PM.