Blog 5

 Lifestyle and Values


      The lifestyle of my host family is definitely shockingly similar to my family at home's style of living. In my house, we have always ate dinner extremely late at night, which many of my friends at home have found very surprising. To me this is completely normal because my family is made up of all night owls, and since a young age we have all always had commitments late at night. In Murcia, my family usually eats around 9:00 pm which is exactly when I eat at home. Similarly, my family partakes in our own version of the Spanish siesta. Considering my family wakes up very late we eat large meals in the middle of the day and all nap after. From the hours of 3-5 pm my family can usually all be found asleep (during the weekends at least). My ideal style of living would definitely be the type of schedule I have had since coming to Murcia. I enjoy the fact that an emphasis is placed on sharing meals together, because this is my family's love language together as well.

    Something I find very eye opening in the lifestyle aspect of Spain is the unspoken dress code. On a regular basis, people are seemingly much more formally dressed than people in America are. American "dress code" is more of a lazy sweat suit or pajama look, especially on weekends. I find the opposite here in Spain because people are always dressed professionally, even more likely on the weekends. I wish that this was the quote for American because it motivates me to look better, feel better, and get out of the house to do things every day. I have enjoyed watching the way Spanish community members treat each other because it is way kinder than Americans interact with one another. 

    Overall I find the lifestyle norms in Murcia to be extremely laid back and enjoyable. I wish to life a similar lifestyle at home because I have become much more productive with my days here.

Comments

  1. Avery StackhouseJune 22, 2025 at 7:42 AM

    It is interesting that you felt more comfortable in regards to the scheduling here. I felt a little bit of the opposite at first. I needed to adjust to eating later, and more food during the middle of the day. But I also agree that there is different expected dress code and mannerisms in Spain than in the US. To class, I regularly wear pajamas and sweats, while here the student we have passed look very formal or in general, nicer dressed. I kind of like the dress code in Spain a bit more only because it is nice to see everyone in nicer outfits, however I am still going to stick to staying in my loungewear.

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