Two summers ago, I studied abroad in Salamanca with UMass’s Summer in Salamanca Study Abroad program with API. In the months preceding the trip, I spent hours researching what to wear, what to bring, how to pack, how to act, and anything else you might wonder before studying abroad. This research, though important, was more or less unhelpful. Often, I was reading from the perspective of someone who didn’t mind sticking out as an American. My goal for my trip was to blend in as much as possible. By this, I mean that while I was in Spain, I wanted to be a Spaniard, and with this goal in mind, I learned many things. Please keep in mind that every area and city in Spain is not the same. I am not a Spaniard so I cannot speak on all of Spanish culture, however, this is just what I have learned through my own experience. With that being said, I am going to tell you what I wish I would have known before going abroad.

First, we will start with how to pack and what to wear. Though this may seem trivial, as Americans, I will make the generalization that we do not know how to dress (here I am quoting the Spaniards I have known over the years). If you want to fit in in Spain, you must dress the part. Just look nice! Do not go out in pajamas or sweats. If you are going in the warmer months, do not wear jean shorts. Nobody wears those, at least where I was staying. Stick with flowy pants, dresses, and skirts. If you are going in the colder months, bring clothes to layer, and don’t just live in athleticwear. As for packing, I recommend bringing as little as possible and buying clothes there. Obviously bring the basics and things you know you will wear, but shopping in Spain is a wonderful experience and I highly recommend underpacking rather than overpacking. Also, most importantly bring a COMFY pair of shoes. You will be walking far more than you are used to and having a comfy pair of shoes is almost as important as bringing your passport. This is definitely not the time to try out a new pair of cute shoes.

Next, it’s important to know that Spaniards are very curt and straightforward. They are not excessively polite as Americans are, which means they are not being rude, they are being normal. For example, after I had been staying with my host mom for a couple of weeks, we were walking together and suddenly she burst out “Why is your nose ring SO big?!” (For context, my nose ring was a small silver hoop, no bigger than any normal nose ring and you can barely see it in photos.) I looked at her utterly terrified because the way she said it seemed like she was angry. I responded by telling her I didn’t think it was THAT big and I asked if it offended her. She said that it didn’t offend her, she just didn’t like it and she wouldn’t let her daughter do that. (Funnily enough, she had a tiny diamond stud in her nose.) I walked away from the situation quite horrified because I thought she was offended, but really she just wanted to let me know how she felt and that was it.

Also, words like “please,” “thank you,” and “I’m sorry” are reserved for more meaningful situations. Americans are known for saying these things all the time whereas Spaniards don’t do this. For example, if someone bumps into you on a bus or train, they will not stop to say “Oh no, I’m so sorry” or “Pardon me!” because it is generally assumed that if someone bumps into you, they did not mean to do it. When ordering at a restaurant, you do not say “May I please have…” or “Can I have… please,” you would say “I want,” “I’ll have,” or “I’d like.” (in Spanish obviously). Lastly, do not tip. It is not something that is done. When I was in Spain, I would go out with a bunch of girls to dinner and when the bill would come, there would be a huge debate about whether or not we should leave a tip. They would say “But I feel bad, I’ve never not tipped before” and it was this whole argument. Quite frankly, it was rather embarrassing. You shouldn’t try to apply your culture to other cultures. You don’t tip in Spain because people like hairdressers, waiters/waitresses, tattoo artists, etc. all have entire careers where they are actually paid. They get benefits such as healthcare and they get a livable wage. They do not need to make money off of the customers. Also, when you go to dinner, you should choose one person to pay and you can pay that person back if you’d like, but it’s very uncommon to ask a waiter to split the bill. Depending on where you are, they might not even know how to do that. It’s common in Spanish culture for one person to pay because friends often take turns paying. So, if you ask a waiter to split your bill eight ways, they will probably look at you like you are crazy.

At the grocery store, you have to put all of your things in a bag yourself and you have to bring your own bags. You will go to the cash register, they will scan your things, charge you, and then you must move out of the way for the next customer. You must race to grab your things and move out of the way before the next customer has finished their transaction. I’m not going to lie, it is quite stressful the first time you do it. Also, pharmacies are their own separate store. It is not like in the U.S. where you can go to a convenience store and there will be Advil and stuff like that. You have to go to a pharmacy specifically, and everything will be behind the counter. You must tell the attendant what you want and they will bring it for you. I actually thought it was really nice because you don’t have to spend forever trying to figure out what you want, but others on my trip found it pretty annoying. 

If you stay with a host family, it will likely be difficult to adjust to the Spanish eating schedule. They generally do not eat breakfast. Maybe a slice of toast with their coffee, but not often. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, normally around 2 or 3 and it is normally eaten at home. Dinner is not usually until 9 or even 10. For me, this was not necessarily a huge adjustment because growing up, I did not usually eat breakfast and I would not eat lunch until I arrived home from school around 2:30 or 3. Since coming to college I have begun eating breakfast, but at the time that I went, it wasn’t a big change. However, a lot of the students on my trip had a huge problem with it. Students demanded that their host families make them breakfast and they would snack all throughout classes and until lunchtime. A lot of students also didn’t like that dinner was so late. It was a pretty large area of complaint among my companions and many students complained to the program about it. Once again, I think this is an issue of trying to apply your own culture to another person’s culture. You should not study abroad if you are not prepared to change your way of life and your way of thinking.

My last piece of advice is to have so much fun and be yourself. You will likely not be a twenty-something in Spain again and the people you meet will likely never see you again. Learn all that you can, ask all of the questions. You are there to learn and if someone is mad at you for asking too many questions, then find someone else to answer your questions. Live in every single moment, whether it’s an excursion, reading in your bed, or an exam, because all of it lasts for such a short time and will become a small space of time in your memory. Learn who you are when you are pulled from everything you know, and be someone you would be proud to know. Studying abroad will change the way you think and the way you view the world and you should be grateful for every moment.

By Adelyn Hoyt