People just go up to babies, by Fayla Sutton

In Spain I have noticed that people are much more social, friendly, and relaxed than they are in the United States. At first this was really hard to get used to, because in the U.S. people have very strict personal space boundaries and like to stick to themselves or people they know. I have noticed that people in Spain sometimes talk to each other like they are friends even if they do not know each other. One of the biggest differences I noticed was that people will just go up to babies and touch them and talk to them, even if they don’t know them, and it seems totally normal. In the U.S. if a stranger was to go up to a baby it would be very strange, and most parents would not be okay with it. In Spain there are always people walking around and eating or getting drinks for long periods of time. Everything seems more relaxed; like no one is in a hurry. It is a nice change from the fast-paced nature of people in the United States. One of the biggest changes I noticed in the pace of life here is that the U.S. places a huge emphasis on food and coffee to-go, but here that doesn’t seem to be as common. I like that noting is rushed it gives you more time to enjoy things and get to know people.