I nervously check my phone for the thousandth time, sigh, and try not to lose my temper: I’m stuck behind that classic Spanish couple. They come in all ages and all shapes and sizes, but they all share one thing: an inability to share the sidewalk. It’s a special skill to walk at treadmill speed 1.0 while staying perfectly spaced out so that no one can pass you on the left, nor on the right, nor squeeze through the middle. It’s like a human urban puzzle with no solution but to give up on ever making your destination on time, crossing the street, or aggressively budging your way through.
I’m a spacey person. I’ve been called out many times for walking around Georgetown’s campus looking like a lost and overwhelmed prospective student, even after two years as a student. But even I am constantly perplexed by Spaniards on the street. They might stop in the middle of the sidewalk to have a nice little chat. Or they’ll walk so directly towards you that you begin to question whether you’re invisible. They seem to pay absolutely no attention to where anyone else is on the street. And by far the most draining part of living in Madrid for me is how slow the average street pace is.
Yet, no one else walks around with all the frustration that I let build up inside of me. Because as hard as I try, I seem to never leave myself enough time. And someone like me, who is perpetually running late on American time, struggles with Spanish time.
When I am running late to class, I pull out a bar on the metro, and every time I take a bite, I can see the entire car full of people look at me like I have three heads. In a country where meals are often more for the social gatherings rather than nutritional intake, eating on the go is a little strange. A meal in Spain is a time to enjoy your company, relax, and celebrate a universal pride in Spanish cuisine.
Overall, there isn’t a sense of “wasting time” like in the United States. Spending several hours at an average lunch, or walking at the slowest pace imaginable, is considered a good thing. It shows that you make time to appreciate and enjoy your life. And unlike at Georgetown, where we tend to obsess over being busy, in Spain, people almost pity those who are in a rush, thinking it’s a shame they don’t have the time to savor those moments.
The epitome of Spanish time is the siesta, essentially a nap, typically taken after lunch. It is one of the biggest Spanish stereotypes, and although it is a fantasy that everyone in this country sleeps during the day, the siesta is greatly appreciated. I know personally, I have always viewed naps as a complete waste of the most precious hours of the day. But, in Spain, people view taking a siesta as a great treat and an opportunity to relax. And after adjusting to eating dinner at 10:00 p.m. and still making it to class early in the morning, I’ve learned that the occasional siesta should definitely be appreciated.
Immersing myself in Spanish culture and in a Spanish schedule has meant learning to slow down, to not be afraid of free time, and to enjoy all of the little moments in life. I think the Spanish are onto something.
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