Living in Spain

How would you describe life in Spain?
MY life or the life of Spaniards living in Spain? Or both? Well, life differs greatly from the cities to the villages to the coasts so it's dangerous to generalize.

Life, I think, is pretty darn rich in Spain, much more so than, in my opinion, in the USA or U.K. Family is very very important as well - but I fear it's becoming less-so. Free time is also very important. There's a saying that Spaniards have about Americans, "In America, they live to work while we work to live." Conversation, exchange of ideas, and interaction with others is very important in Spain. Life - is to be spent OUTSIDE as much as possible.

Has it been complicated to settle down, to find an accommodation and a job?

For me, it was easy to settle down but I'd been preparing myself for my move for more than 5-years. Most people, I'm sure, don't have this ability. My accommodation was waiting for me when I arrived and already spent weeks at a time there/here in the years leading up to my move. But for others, I think, it's pretty easy to find accommodation. There are LOTS of empty rental properties at good prices. Flats are generally big, however, and the housing buildings don't always have elevators either. For me, I had my job already upon arriving in Spain. I registered the business shortly after arriving and it had been my hobby for the previous 10 years so it was an easy transition. But for others, THIS is the most difficult thing about moving to Spain for a non-European, ESPECIALLY now in this declining world economy. Few companies are hiring anyone, let alone non-Spaniards, and most are laying off workers quickly to cut costs.

Is it complicated to make friends in Spain?
It can be but it all depends on your attitude. If you're open, friendly & honest, and leave your superiority-complexes at the door, you'll do fine. The hardest thing is making that first Spanish friend. After that, they'll introduce you to their friends and you're on your way! Spaniards love to go out, have drinks and tapas, or just sit and talk for hours. Join in one of these gatherings and you'll make lots of friends. But be careful not to disparage their country, their ways of life, or their food.

What would you recommend to people who would like to live in Spain?
DO YOUR HOMEWORK! I can't stress this enough. Learn as much about the country; THE LANGUAGE, the people, the politics, ways-of-life, food & wine, entertainment, and read the news as often as you can. This will help a lot. Apart from the homework, keep an open mind and try not to be judgmental of other people or other societies. And as stated above in the previous section, leave your superiority-complexes at home - it'll only get you into trouble. You won't get far with the "Ugly American/Brit" attitude. Finally, BE SURE you can make a living in Spain BEFORE arriving! People seem to still carry this romantic vision that everything in Spain is cheap and easy and they'll need little money to live well. Jobs for non-Europeans (and even for non-Spaniards) are VERY VERY hard to come by, wages are VERY VERY LOW, and treatment by bosses and companies is not as "fair" as we're probably used to in the USA, UK, and Australia.

Saludos, MadridMan