Visitors, USA trip, our HOOD!....

May 10, 2022

Ok if you see this on a phone it looks long but it’s tons of pictures (visitors and our neighborhood!!) and some quick info…and just a few things to ponder...(I think a lot these days)…

Quick Hits!

Barcelona y Espanol es muy interesante!

Barcelona has the largest futbol stadium in Europe
Barcelona was offered the Eiffel tower before Pairs - they felt it would be an eyesore to the then-current architecture.
La Sagrada Familia (a giant ass church) has been under construction for over 140 years. It may be done around 2030! Look it up if you need!
Barcelona has over 20 Michelin restaurants! (3500+ restaurants in total). It is overwhelming on where to fill our bellies!
Spain is the ‘sunniest country in Europe’ and the climate (on the Costa Blanca) has been described by the WHO as among the healthiest in the world. Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, from the Costa Blanca to the Costa del Sol, enjoys an average of over 300 days of sunshine each year
A Castell is a human tower. You’ve likely seen a pic, we saw it pop up LIVE next to our home.

Updates!

We had our first visitors two weeks ago…thanks Linda and Ryan for coming!
I was in the US for a week - it was good to be back but I missed Barcelona.
I messed my back up again. The more we are exposed to the ‘healthcare system’ here the more awkward the US system becomes!

Our First Visitors!

While we have been extending invites to many (and many are taking us up on it!) we had our first visitors in mid-April. Linda and Ryan, Ashley’s mom and bro, came to visit. First trip to Spain and even their first time in Europe! We worked to make the trip special and check as many boxes as we could with the six days we had them for. Linda broke a personal record for steps/miles walked (!!!) and Ryan got to a formal ‘futbol’ game with me at Camp Nu. They were able to experience Saint Jordi Day (Spanish Valentines Day) and many types of Catlan and Spanish cuisine (I think they were both ready for a burger and slice of pepperoni at the end of the trip!). It was our first time doing some of the places too, so it was a treat all around.

We are looking forward to other visitors we have on the books (Dad and Vickie in May, Mitch and Lindsey in July (with kids), Dad and Vickie again in September, and other friends that are in Europe this summer and will stop by (Vaughn and fam, Fishman and fam, Marcus and Nikhol, and others I think). We are gone a lot if you are planning a trip let us know with plenty of notice! I think May and September are the best months weather wise!

La Sagrada Familia - a church140 years in the making - maybe done 2030?

Park Guell, Camp Nu, Tibidabo, and the Cathedral of Barcelona

Beach day and paella! (arroz negros - black squid-ink rice!) If you haven’t had a 2.5 hour lunch you need one!

A trip to the USA (home?)

America is awesome. But it’s got a lot of issues. I’ve always said it’s a beautiful nightmare! I love this place!

I took a trip to the US, mostly to check in on a few things work but took advantage of it and was able to see some loved ones as well. It was a busy busy trip (Miami, Dallas, Little Rock, Kansas City, Charlotte, New York) but well worth it to see the many people important in my life (work and family/friends). Honestly, it was a little weird to be back (it felt like I was gone for 10 months but it’s only been 4). Large roads, people speaking English, lots of space, fast service, and dollars vs euros. I do miss much about the states:

A good cabernet sauvignon
Fast service (this is good and bad)
Reading English signs and menus and understanding what is going on
My family and friends
My 4-Runner!!!

and I missed tons about Barcelona:

NOT tipping
Walking (market, wine store, friends house, gym, to meals, etc) 20k steps a day
Excitement - activities - events - crowds
Quality of foods and produce at reasonable prices
Good coffee!
Good bread (I paid $9.50 for a loaf of quality bread in KC - it costs €2.10 in Barca!!)

I could write and write about the feelings I felt being back, the discussions I had late into the night with my Dad and Vickie, but I’ll just let it simmer….it was a great trip. My mother drove down from South Dakota to have dinner which was amazing and I had some drinks and dinner with buddies from the old ‘hood’ (thanks for coordinating James!). America has so much to offer, yet misses the mark on a lot. I can’t wait to get ‘home’ to Barcelona (writing this on the plane) but will be very much looking forward to the next trip to the States (Thanksgiving!).

An idea -

Think through ‘different vs weird’. I often found myself saying ‘this is weird’ when we had traveled through any foreign country in the past two decades and quite a bit in January when we moved to Spain. No - this country (or any) is not weird, it is just different from what I was used to. People in other countries probs think America is weird. kg vs lb? cm vs inches? Slow service vs rush rush rush? Tipping 20% or not expected/done? Working 10 hr days vs 6-8 (including a 2 hr lunch break)? Apartment living vs large home? Not having a car and walking vs driving anywhere over 2 blocks away? Nothing is weird - just different. I’m helping my kids see differences are good. And I’ve stopped saying ‘this is weird’.

Diets and lifestyle - health and wealth.

I will tell you this. People in Spain eat more bread, drink more wine, eat more cured salty meats and fatty sausages, eat late into the evening, drink less water, and yet are healthier than people in the US. They go to the doctor less and take a fraction of the medicines that Americans do, and healthcare spend is a fraction of the US. It is super rare to see anyone over weight (let alone obese) or in a powered scooter. They even smoke more (cigarettes, but marijuana is legal too). Think on that one…I don’t know why but my assumption is it is because they don’t stress as much, they don’t work too much, they don’t strive for a bigger dollar or home, they spend tons of time with friends and family (2-3 hour lunches AND dinners), and they walk places and are active. They sit in parks and people watch. They don’t stress about news or stare at their phones as much as Americans. Parents enjoy walking or biking their kids to school and they don’t rush rush. They don’t eat/drink too much sugar or even drink soda much (soda is muy caro (expensive!!!). Their portions are small to medium - no huge ‘super-size’ me portions. It’s pretty remarkable…and yet another thing to think on (of note: my resting heart rate is down 12% since moving in January).

The healthcare system

We have had a few intro’s to the healthcare system here. Ashley went to the doctor when she wasn’t feeling well, the kids have been to the dentist for cleanings, and I went to the chiropractor. The Chiropractor is €40 (about $43) per visit for 45 minutes. The dentist was €35 (about $38) for a full cleaning and x-rays with the best technology and a trip to the urgent care is €0 (zero is $0!!). There is a government system here for everyone for free, but we had to buy private insurance as part of the Visa process. Private insurance in the US was $1500-$2000 per month for a crappy plan buying it on our own. Our cost here is €200 per month for everyone (about $220). Prescriptions are free or around $10-20/mo I think. I hope nothing else comes up but if it does, the healthcare system here is great…