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Around 41,000 Americans have made Spain their home. Content creator Morgan is one of them.

"I met my (now) husband at university in the US as he was an international student from Spain," she told Bored Panda. "A few years after graduation, he realized he wanted to be closer to his family and I was excited for the opportunity and adventure to live abroad, so we decided to make the move in June 2021."

But hopping over the Atlantic comes with its fair share of novelty; new places, full of new people and new customs take time to adjust to. Luckily, Morgan has managed to adapt to life in the old continent.

More info: Instagram | TikTok

Meet Morgan, an American who recently settled in Spain

The content creator has been covering the culture shocks she has experienced since making the transition

@morganinspain More ✨culture shocks✨ #cultureshock #americaninspain #lifeabroad #americanineurope #spain #expatlife #livingabroad #expat #spaingoals #immigrant ♬ original sound - Kacie Rose

And they provide interesting insights for comparing the two countries

Spain has a lot to offer. From tapas and wine, to bullfighting flamenco, there's a lot to experience even outside the Mediterranean Beaches and stone castles.

"In general, Spain is a beautiful country overwhelmed by its rich history and culture," Morgan said. "The people, food, and traditions are unlike anything from any other country and it's been such an incredible experience so far."

In 2017, before the pandemic transformed the tourism industry, it was the second-most visited country in the world with 81.8 million international travelers, behind only France (86.9 million) but ahead of the US (75.9 million), China (60.7 million), and everyone else.

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    #2

    Culture Shock

    morganinspain Report

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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again - this is how the rest of the world does it. The US is the exception, not Spain

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    "The one 'culture shock' that has probably impacted me the most is the late dinner schedule," Morgan said. "It's insane!"

    "In the US, it's normal to have dinner around 5-7 pm. In Spain, they don't even think of eating until it's after 8 pm (and that's considered early). It definitely took some time, but I'd say I'm pretty much adapted now and don't have dinner until at least 9:30-10 pm."

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    #6

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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine how she'll feel once she wanders into the nude section of the beach..

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    Currently, Morgan lives in Madrid, the capital and most populous city of Spain. In fact, it is the most popular choice among all American expats with over 11,500 calling it home.

    That makes the capital one of the few places in the country where there are more Americans than Brits, which is quite something when you keep in mind that UK nationals outnumber US nationals in Spain by almost 7 to 1.

    #7

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    François Carré
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Spent a sleepless night like this in a bar in Madrid when I was young and broke, because I had to commute between two buses and had nowhere to sleep. Sat at a table in the corner with a big book, ordered a couple of drinks, then they gently ignored me for the rest of the night. I could witness that weird moment around 6-7 AM, when the smell of beer is replaced by the smell of coffee. Great memory.

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    #8

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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We do that in Scandinavia too. Sometimes, if there's two teachers with the same first name, we'll use the last name instead, but without a prefix, so Thomas Berg, will just be called Berg.

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    #9

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    yeciye
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Umm… I mean this might be true but I still won’t publicly admit that I know it.

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    However, just because the two places are different, doesn't mean one of them is better than the other. "There are lots of things I miss about the US," Morgan said. "But there's also lots of things I don't miss."

    "Regardless, it's where I'm from and it will always be my home and I'm grateful for that. I'm just fortunate enough that now I have the opportunity to experience a completely different world and am able to call Spain home as well."

    #10

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    troufaki13
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You can't do that if it's "part of an offer", but yeah single cans are sold in Greece too

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    #12

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    yeciye
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    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s a lot of grapes in a short time. Does the clock bell strike slower there? Or maybe the grapes are smaller.

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    #13

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    yeciye
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    First a pooping log, now a defecating nativity figure. I just hope naughty kids are still getting only coal.

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    #14

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    Pamela24
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same all throughout Europe. And it's a good thing because the staff in pharmacies are people properly educated in the field and can talk to you about all the risks even the most common and basic medication has.

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    #15

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    Romenriel
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    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't they bake similar dessert in the US, too? I think Cajuns do it on Mardi Gras.

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    #16

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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In Norway we no longer celebrate Three kings night, but it's traditionally the last day it's acceptable to have Christmas decorations up.

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    #17

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    yeciye
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Roscón de Reyes (the dessert with hidden things) was already a lottery.

    Anne Edwards
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well I've never been to Spain but even I knew about this lottery (and I kind of like the music).

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    Kashna Ranee
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought they were orphans not school children? Did they change it?

    Jill Wynne Peters
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The husband and I spent 3 years stationed in Spain. A wonderful place. In our neighbors daughter and her school friends would invite themselves in and practice their English, theatre and gymnastics. I miss them.

    Rob Williams
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And they don't have lotteries in the USA? That episode of Friends lied to me!

    zak
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did she really take 150 "shocked pikachu face" and confused selfies to make this? Seems like a total waste of time to me, but to each their own I guess.

    Jetto Scranda
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Last one, well this was annyoing. And she totally forgot to mention the messed up Spanish alphabet and the letter pronunciation, where V = B. B = V, H = J, J =H ,etc...

    Sinkvenice
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well isn't that terribly inconvenient for you. You sound like the type of person who lives in/has a holiday home in a foreign country, doesn't bother to learn the local language and gets annoyed because every single person doesn't speak your language fluently.

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