Spanish Practices – Living in Spain: Real Life, Real Spain
Aug 29, 2026 · 15 min · 9 segments
Thinking of leaving America for the perfect life in Spain? Cheap healthcare, endless sunshine, affordable living and a slower pace of life? **Think again.** After nearly ten years living in Spain, I…
John MetzenHost
[gentle music] There is a particular version of Spain that seems to be doing rather well on American social media.
A beautiful apartment overlooking a cobbled plaza, a café con leche costing practically nothing, wonderful fresh food from the local market, cheap healthcare, cheap wine.
Everyone lives to 97, and the entire population spends its evenings sitting beneath an orange tree drinking Rioja.
It is a completely different country with different expectations, different social attitudes, and perhaps most importantly, a completely different definition of what constitutes a good life.
So if you're thinking of moving here from the United States, there are a few things worth knowing.
Don't bring your coffee machine or your American toaster or your beloved KitchenAid mixer, unless you've checked very carefully what voltage it can accept.
And plugging an appliance designed only for American voltage into a Spanish socket isn't so much making coffee as conducting an electrical experiment.
[gentle music] There is a particular version of Spain that seems to be doing rather well on American social media.
A beautiful apartment overlooking a cobbled plaza, a café con leche costing practically nothing, wonderful fresh food from the local market, cheap healthcare, cheap wine.
Everyone lives to 97, and the entire population spends its evenings sitting beneath an orange tree drinking Rioja.
It is a completely different country with different expectations, different social attitudes, and perhaps most importantly, a completely different definition of what constitutes a good life.
So if you're thinking of moving here from the United States, there are a few things worth knowing.
Don't bring your coffee machine or your American toaster or your beloved KitchenAid mixer, unless you've checked very carefully what voltage it can accept.
And plugging an appliance designed only for American voltage into a Spanish socket isn't so much making coffee as conducting an electrical experiment.
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