All the best, Russell. Ditto on simplification. I've streamlined both my physical items (furniture, etc) and financial life...and it's been a huge help for peace of mind and clarity. Cheers
Mucho ánimo navigating the complexities of life abroad. It’s worth going through it to live in Barcelona. I lived there for a little over a year, and it holds a special place in my heart!
Thanks for the picture of the bar, that reminded me the place where I used to take my coffee before going to work every morning!
I was in Spain following the cycling Tour for a few days. We were all very confused by the men drinking shots and beer for breakfast. They stood up and we could see they were electricians by trade. I don't know if I'd be happy with my electrician drinking like that for breakfast at 10am?
Thanks for this! I like your candid approach to the complexities of living abroad (financial, logistical, emotional.) It's complicated, and you wear it well. Good luck this year, wherever the simplification urge may take you. Hope they let you finish that house.
I have lived in both the UK and Spain, and I always thought it's a deeply ingrained cultural way of experiencing the world. The British drink excessively, and they see this as entirely normal. A British acquaintance of mine once literally said that this is what one lives for, to get wasted. The Spanish, on the other hand, drink to socialise, eat, and share. We do the same on the Balkans.
I could write a book about how the cold weather might have led to such high levels of alcohol consumption in the north. Then again, southern Europeans cannot imagine drinking without the food sharing and deep socialising aspect of it.
Reduce. Delete. Sell. An excellent mantra for when life is feeling too complex. Letting things go is necessary to prioritise the things we really care about.
As someone from the US that just moved to Barcelona, I’m enjoying reading your words. Thank you for them. The drinking culture was a question I had also but assumed my experiences of only a few openly drunk locals were one offs. Nice to get another opinion on this. I don’t generally drink and am tremendously put off by that culture which is so prevalent in the UK, US…. so it is a very welcome relief not seeing it here (or in Italy where I spent last year). Good luck with the home remodeling and looking forward to hearing about the progress.
"she had previously spent several years in the UK and had expected something similar to the all-out drink fests in British football."
Drinking in view of a football match has been banned in the UK since 1985. Drinking (almost) anywhere in A Scottish football stadium has been banned since 1980.
Of course, you still get drunk folk, but in Scotland it's certainly a tiny proportion. As in countries like Italy, cocaine is the big problem.
That I can attest to. Even though it's not kicking-out-time-on-a-Saturday-night boozy, the pubs get busy before a match. Obviously due to the weather everyone's indoors, it's cramped, and everyone's taking loudly to get heard. I miss it.
All the best, Russell. Ditto on simplification. I've streamlined both my physical items (furniture, etc) and financial life...and it's been a huge help for peace of mind and clarity. Cheers
Thanks Matthew! 👌
Mucho ánimo navigating the complexities of life abroad. It’s worth going through it to live in Barcelona. I lived there for a little over a year, and it holds a special place in my heart!
Thanks for the picture of the bar, that reminded me the place where I used to take my coffee before going to work every morning!
I was in Spain following the cycling Tour for a few days. We were all very confused by the men drinking shots and beer for breakfast. They stood up and we could see they were electricians by trade. I don't know if I'd be happy with my electrician drinking like that for breakfast at 10am?
Thanks for this! I like your candid approach to the complexities of living abroad (financial, logistical, emotional.) It's complicated, and you wear it well. Good luck this year, wherever the simplification urge may take you. Hope they let you finish that house.
Thanks Dan!
I have lived in both the UK and Spain, and I always thought it's a deeply ingrained cultural way of experiencing the world. The British drink excessively, and they see this as entirely normal. A British acquaintance of mine once literally said that this is what one lives for, to get wasted. The Spanish, on the other hand, drink to socialise, eat, and share. We do the same on the Balkans.
I could write a book about how the cold weather might have led to such high levels of alcohol consumption in the north. Then again, southern Europeans cannot imagine drinking without the food sharing and deep socialising aspect of it.
Reduce. Delete. Sell. An excellent mantra for when life is feeling too complex. Letting things go is necessary to prioritise the things we really care about.
Also just buy less stuff!
As someone from the US that just moved to Barcelona, I’m enjoying reading your words. Thank you for them. The drinking culture was a question I had also but assumed my experiences of only a few openly drunk locals were one offs. Nice to get another opinion on this. I don’t generally drink and am tremendously put off by that culture which is so prevalent in the UK, US…. so it is a very welcome relief not seeing it here (or in Italy where I spent last year). Good luck with the home remodeling and looking forward to hearing about the progress.
"she had previously spent several years in the UK and had expected something similar to the all-out drink fests in British football."
Drinking in view of a football match has been banned in the UK since 1985. Drinking (almost) anywhere in A Scottish football stadium has been banned since 1980.
Of course, you still get drunk folk, but in Scotland it's certainly a tiny proportion. As in countries like Italy, cocaine is the big problem.
She must've been thinking of the pubs. 🤔
That I can attest to. Even though it's not kicking-out-time-on-a-Saturday-night boozy, the pubs get busy before a match. Obviously due to the weather everyone's indoors, it's cramped, and everyone's taking loudly to get heard. I miss it.