I think it's high time for a top ten list or two. Every day I think of things that I love about Spain, and - more recently - things that I love about home. I can't help comparing the two, although I know that Spain and the U.S. are completely distinto.
Things I miss about home (in no particular order):
1. Clean public facilities (sidewalks, bathrooms, hallways, libraries, etc.) Janitors will leave the University bathrooms after "cleaning" them and I'll enter, only to find toilet paper and other detritus still scattered on the floor.
2. Normal sized coffee for a reasonable price. Café americano (the closest thing possible to black coffee) costs anywhere from €0,70 to €2,00...for a tiny little cup. I wish I'd brought my coffee maker.
3. Tap water. You have to pay for water anywhere you go, and it's usually more expensive than soda or una caña.
4. The refrigeration there. I can't quite adapt to drinking tepid milk, although I know it's perfectly fine. (However, the Spanish word for "refrigerator," frigorífico, is one of my favorites.)
5. Of course, my family and friends.
6. Walking down the street without holding my purse in a death grip for fear of ladrones.
7. Goldfish.
8. Taking anything "to-go." Since the Spanish like to sit and chat, the concept doesn't really exist here; this proves challenging when I'm running late for the bus and want to drink my coffee.
9. Being able to go to class without (attempting) to look like I'm in a Euro-fashion show.
10. All of my books.
Things I love about Spain:
1. The people. The Spanish are, generally, extremely friendly and willing to help with whatever you might need.
2. The use of public space. The plazas and parks here - unlike the restroom facilities - are beautiful and well cared-for. People love to go to the various plazas and just sit...people don't really do this in the States. Maricarmen says it's because "Here, it's warm. And where you live it's really cold! So no one wants to sit outside."
3. Jamón serrano, a delicious prosciutto-esque ham.
4. La República, my favorite Spanish tele-drama.
5. Successfully riding the autobús. I'm always strangely satisfied when I hop on a bus I don't normally ride, and arrive safely at home.
6. Classy Spanish children: they're always wearing pea coats and little boots.
7. Being able to hop on a train and - four hours later - I'm in Barcelona or Madrid. Two hours by plane to Paris, two hours to Germany. I always forget that I had to undergo a 7.5 hour Atlantic crossing to get here.
8. The sun! And being so close to the sea.
9. Maricarmen and Pepe. They're adorable.
10. Oh, i also really enjoy the bread, (pan) to my chagrin.
11. Mercadona: best generic grocery store products en el mundo entero. I'm probably sustaining the entire company single-handedly.
