Two weeks ago, I hopped on a plane to Spain for what has, so far, been the most life-altering experience of my life.  The first two nights, when I was staying in a hotel, seemed pretty similar to a city in America.  It wasn’t until I moved in with my “host family” that I really noticed the differences between the two countries, and what most Americans completely take advantage of.  Here are a list of the biggest things that I didn’t appreciate in the U.S., that I now wish I had:
1. Â Â Â Â HEAT
Let me preface this by informing you that utilities in Europe are EXTREMELY expensive compared to the United States.  During the winter months, North Carolinians turn off their air conditioner and turn on their heating systems.  Well, given the cost of electric and gas in Spain, not many people have heating systems, and if they do, they NEVER use it.  Their solution: just put on more layers.  Which seems like an easy fix until it’s 8 a.m. and you have to drag your duvet with you to the bathroom because your body is numb.
2. Â Â Â Â LONG SHOWERS
Spiraling off what I previously said about the cost of utilities, Spaniards are also super conscious about conserving energy and recycling.  Taking long showers is not only considered wasteful, but it is also considered very rude.  I just want one night where I can take a nice, long, hot shower without feeling like I’m running in a race against time.
3. Â Â Â Â FREE ANYTHING
Nothing in Europe is free…I’m not exaggerating, I actually can’t think of a single thing.  Water at a restaurant almost always costs more than a glass of house wine or a can of domestic beer.  Bread that’s sitting on your table?  Yeah, if you touch that, you’re getting charged.  Going to be staying at a hostel and need to take a shower? You have to pay for the towel. ALL I WANT IS SOME TAP WATER, COME ON PEOPLE!
4. Â Â Â Â WI-FI THAT WORKS
Walls in Spanish apartments are extremely thick, so it’s very difficult for a single Wi-Fi router to be strong enough to reach through the entire house.  So you’re trying to play on your phone while you’re in bed?  I hope that you have 10 minutes to waste, because that’s how long it’s going to take for Instagram to load.
5. Â Â Â Â NETFLIX, HULU, Â HBO GO
All of these are American companies that only give service to computers with IP addresses in the United States and military bases.  There are some sketchy ways to manipulate your computer’s IP address to make these sites think you have an American computer, but I’m still attempting to figure out how exactly that works.  Just imagine living the next 6 months of your life without Netflix?  Do you want to cry?  Yeah, me too.
Despite the combination of all these things, I still want to shred my passport so that I’m stuck here forever.  This is the most beautiful place and the best learning experience that I will probably ever have, and I wouldn’t trade it for all the free bread in the world (Okay, so maybe that’s a lie because Spain has REALLY good bread).