After about a month and a half in León, I have finally adjusted to my life in Spain. There are some things that I was not expecting about León that took me a long time to get used to. For instance, cars stop for pedestrians at a crosswalk when there is no light. I am just now finding the courage to trust that the cars are going to stop for me. Also, it is so much cooler here than I was expecting it to be, and it rains a lot! My teacher said this much rain is very unusual, so it is not normally this bad. However, I would say that has been the hardest thing for me to get used to. The rain makes it feel much cooler, it is more difficult to go places, and it takes my laundry two days to dry. However, there are other things that I was not expecting that I quickly fell in love with. For example, tapas in León are free! When you order a drink in León, you’ll get a small portion of food (a tapa) for free.
There are little things- like hanging my laundry to dry and walking everywhere- that I was expecting I would have to do. However, it still took a little getting used to because it is different than home. However, I adjusted to this easily and I especially love the fact that I can walk anywhere I need to go. I feel like there are some things about a new culture that are easy to adjust to (like hanging your laundry up to dry) and other things that take some time (like not stopping for a car at a crosswalk). I also think the more you immerse yourself in that culture and the longer you are there, the more you will understand it and quicker you will adapt to it. The longer I stay, the more I understand Spanish culture and the more friends I make to guide me along on this adventure.