Living Life on Relaxed Time, by Jahnavi Mahadik

When I first stepped off the plane in Sevilla I had no idea how different life was going to be there. I was used to the fast-paced environment in the United States where I came from. As I entered the airport in Madrid I immediately realized how relaxed Spain was. In the airport no one was running around as you would see in America, instead everyone was enjoying their time and laughing with family and friends as they were making their way to their gate. In Sevilla though life seemed even more relaxed, there was never a rush in anything that was being done. It seemed as if they loved to do things on their own time and enjoy doing it. This relaxed feeling can be seen in restaurants. The waiters and hosts will take their time getting to you to take your order whereas in the US they would be there immediately to take your order. At first this was annoying to us as we wanted our food because we were hungry. But as we spent more and more time in Sevilla I started to realize the beauty of this relaxed time. This relaxed way of living gave so much more than what I expected. This time could be focused on building everlasting relationships and getting into deeper conversations that never would have been brought up if we were being rushed. We were so accustomed to the fast-paced lifestyle in America that we did not even give Spanish culture a chance. But once I realized how important this time was I never looked back. I am glad that Sevilla and Spain in general taught me how to go about life in a relaxed manner and how important that time really is. Spain and America are different in their own ways, but the way they go about life is the complete opposite and I am grateful I got to experience a different way of living.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sex-murder-and-the-meaning-life/201210/culture-shock-spain-versus-america