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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.

#2

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maylin_martinsen avatar
May
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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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maylin_martinsen avatar
May
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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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Karin Jansen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, wait, what.. It's illegal to be topless for women, but not for men at beaches in the US? Now that's just sexist.

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

It's extremely legal to be topless at the beach in most Western European countries.

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

I lived in Switzerland for a year as a university student, with a young family. In general, Europeans mock the USA as puritanical about nudity & sexuality. Swimming nude, taking a sauna & sun-bathing as a family are all considered to be wholesome & healthy activities, totally separate from sex. The American preoccupation with sex is considered quite vulgar.

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

Many people in the world are not oddly afraid of their own titties, and Spaniards are one of them.

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

Um...yeah. Because Europeans aren't immature, prudes when it comes to nudity...

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

It's not that topless bathing is banned in the UK, it's just generally too cold and wet to bother!

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

i don't get that at all, wouldn't they want some support for their boobs?

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Richard Grant
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1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

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

When I was in Texas my flight instructor and I decided to go fly over the local nudist colony. We flew pretty low, about 500 feet and circle the area, all we saw were a bunch of big bellied men with d***s, not one woman on the beach.

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

Unlike in the USA women's bodies are not something to be embarrassed about or to hide in Europe.

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

just because you live in the prudest nation of the Universe, doesn't mean everyone should follow you. Guess what happens when you learn about nudist beaches

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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.

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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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maylin_martinsen avatar
May
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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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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."

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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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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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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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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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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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May
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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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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.

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