Slowing down in Spain: The differences in walking, pacing, and strolling between Spain and the US by Amy Jeanneret

Prior to my study abroad experience, I had one of the most pivotal life experiences during the summer, interning for the United States Commission on Civil Rights in Washington D.C. What a profound and boasting feeling it was to be apart of a such a commission that’s fundamental concern is to eradicate inequality and discrimination of all Americans; everyday I put myself under immense pressure. Not only were my work days overstimulating and mentally taxing, but I vividly remember my commute to work being far from lax. After getting off the metro, I would walk a half mile to my office. My pace would be swift, my gaze locked on my destination, my heart would be racing, yet ironically mindless, and almost every Washingtonian around me paralleled my kind of walk. Constantly fixated on getting from ‘point A’ to “point B,’ I was completely unaware of my surroundings. Spaniards are quite dissimilar. My first few weeks trying to acclimate in Sevilla, the most vexing occurrence throughout my day would be getting caught behind slow walkers or dodging individuals due our unsynchronized paces. At first I was petulant, wondering why these people were moving at what I considered a glacial pace when they could get to wherever they were going much more quicker. As time went on, I became less concerned with trying to fight through the crowd and began to join their strolling pace and it totally altered my perspective. I started to become much more observant of the city around me, as I began taking in my surroundings and not rushing myself to wherever I was headed. American culture and its conventions are known to have very competitive and individualistic tendencies, which is why you will find more people than not walking alone, sometimes with headphones, at a much quicker pace. Spaniards live their day to day lives surrounded by their families and friends, and are enjoying the time they are spending with them. It makes incredible sense for them to stroll rather than not because they are not predominantly fixated on their destination because they are present in the moment with the people around them, that there is no urgency to get from ‘point A’ to ‘point B.’ It is very easy to miss the world around you and I hope that upon my return home to the states, I will not lose sight of that revelation.