Callie Parker, Pitt in Spain Summer 2024
I was most surprised by the pace of living in Spain. I learned before I went that in Spain, the day is a little more relaxed, so I knew to expect this upon arrival, but I was not sure just how relaxed it would be. The difference in schedule was the first thing I noticed. Many people wake up in the morning and go to school or work until lunch time. Then there was “siesta” time, which was a few hours for resting or napping before you then returned to work. They would then finish their workday before having dinner. During siesta, many of the stores and restaurants would close and not open again until the evening for dinner, usually around 8:00 pm. Of course, not everyone closed during this time, but from what I saw it was the majority. Walking around the city of Alcalá de Henares during siesta time was very interesting because there were a lot less people outside and the area had a very relaxed energy. No one was in a rush, people walked slow or just sat outside talking with family or friends. What I loved most about it was that there was a collective time that everyone just slowed down for a minute and took a well-needed break. It made me think about whether that could be something that I would benefit from back in the United States.
I was not super open to the idea at first and I would get frustrated when the shops closed or when people in front of me walked very slowly. However, I started to reflect on why these things bothered me and what parts of American culture made this a difficult adjustment for me. In America, it is very typical for people to be living their lives in a rush, always thinking about what the next thing they must do is. We use busyness to define how successful we are and attach this concept to our self-worth, which I believe often leads to feelings of guilt for taking a break or needing rest. I think that the narrative has more recently moved towards acknowledging that rest is important for mental health, but with the way our workdays are structured I do not think it has been successfully put into practice. I honestly found it very beneficial and think it is part of what made my trip so enjoyable. I packed a lot of different activities into the month I spent abroad, but having some time during the day where it was okay to slow down allowed me to rest, replenish, and get the most out of my experience.
Leave a Reply