Drinking Water in Spain, by Olivia Eastwood

Within days of arriving to Spain I picked up on a major cultural difference… it seems that no one here drinks water! And the Spaniards that do are likely not carrying around a giant reusable bottle. I found myself constantly thirsty when I first arrived because having to pay for water at every restaurant and during every outing was hurting my bank account. At many restaurants a glass of wine is even cheaper than a bottle of water! The cultural norm in Spain is to drink more wine, and to just buy a water if necessary, rather than lugging around a reusable one all day. In the U.S. you are in some ways shamed for using plastic water bottles, as using a reusable bottle is more environmentally friendly and a signal of health.
This shows a difference in cultural values. In Spain, people value alcohol and convenience more, whereas in the U.S. people almost always use water bottles as a status symbol. The more expensive the water bottle, the “cooler” and “healthier” you are. However, here in Spain it is not considered trendy to carry around a water bottle. I found this very interesting because I am constantly thirsty here, especially with all the dehydrating coffee and alcohol I have been consuming! To me, and my culture, it is so much easier and healthier to constantly have my reusable water bottle, but in Spain it makes me stick out like a sore thumb because very few people here carry them around.