“It’s something to do with culture.” That’s what Carmela, my host mom, says every time we have a conversation about things that are different in Spain than they are in the U.S. We spend a lot of time talking about this, mainly because it comes up easily and Is interesting to both of us. I have also found myself talking almost wistfully with my American friends here about things at home that are different than they are here. Going barefoot, for example, is something I never thought twice about in the U.S. until I got to Spain where everyone wears shoes or slippers indoors all the time, even when it’s hot out and all I want to do is feel the cool tile floor on my bare feet. Now I find myself feeling like a kid who just stole an extra cookie when I slip into the kitchen to get a drink of water without my shoes on! On the other hand, I’m coming to love the Spanish way of greeting someone- “dos besos,” which is a kiss on each cheek. It was strange at first to do this with perfect strangers instead of shaking their hand like an American would, but I’ve gotten used to it and I like the informality and casualness of the gesture. It certainly invades the personal space bubble a little bit, but not in a bad way at all.
As much as we talk about the differences, though, what strikes me most often is that Alicante is not so different from any other city I’ve visited in the U.S. It may operate in a different language, on a different time schedule, and with a lot more ice cream shops and lot fewer Starbucks (none, actually… I miss chai) but fundamentally the energy, the busy coming and going, the smells, the variety of people and all the things I know and love about cities are the same. Realizing that has been a comforting thing, and makes me feel less like a lost intruder on a distant place. I remind myself of the similarities when moments of “culture shock” hit me still, like the morning I discovered all of my underwear line drying out the back window for the whole neighborhood to see, or I the afternoon I had to go to the pharmacy to buy sunscreen that’s strong enough to protect my skin and the pharmacist called me “transparent.” I remind myself at those moments, when I feel alienated or frustrated or just very out of my element, of the many ways that Alicante reminds me of home.
