From Spain to sweatpants

I like apple pie. I’m a big fan of democracy. Isn’t that enough to make me a “good American,” more or less? This is the last column that I will write in Spain. Since I have spent the past few weeks raving about how incredible the people and the culture are here, I feel like I’ve been neglecting the good ol’ US of A or even bad-mouthing it. So today I hope to redeem myself by saying that yes, we do live in an incredible country, and although it has its problems, we truly have a lot going for us. Despite how fun it may be to engage in “America bashing” – and trust me, it is – there are certain aspects of the American lifestyle that we take for granted.\n• Sweatpants: Day after day, I have marveled at how well-dressed Spaniards are. It doesn’t matter whether they’re going to a class or a fiesta – they are always looking their best in skirts, collared shirts or high heels. I guess I’ve always just taken for granted that in our country, we are fortunate enough to be able to roll out of bed and deck ourselves out in jeans and crappy T-shirts. It is our right to dress sloppily, but here I have felt out of place the whole time for lack of acceptable European clothing. Honestly, I can hardly wait to see another “Dry campus ... my ass!” shirt.\n• Gender equality (pretty much): I have always thought of Spain as a modern, progressive country, so I was surprised to see that so few women in Salamanca work outside the home. What’s more, the men don’t really ever help with housework – the women don’t expect them to, either – and here there is no shortage of “women jokes.” The man has the final say in most things, and their wives and children are reluctant to make decisions without him. Of course, Spanish society is always changing, and hopefully, machismo will soon become a thing of the past.\n• Mexican food: I know that it sounds bizarre to crave Mexican food in Spain, but there are lots of people in my IU group who are experiencing taco withdrawal, since most restaurants here are cafes that basically serve the same things. In the U.S., we are gastronomically fortunate and can choose to eat Middle Eastern, Italian and even Tibetan food. Our diversity of international food choices is reflective of the diversity of our society as a whole. We are a nation of immigrants, and though Spain has foreigners, it tends to be somewhat homogenous. Seriously, how cool is it that we get to interact with such a variety of people on a daily basis in the States?\nI will miss Spain a lot, but it’s good to know that I am coming home to a pretty okay place. Sure, the U.S. is not without its flaws – which I will probably resume pointing out in next week’s column – but until then, I will resist the temptation and patriotically bring this column to a close. Ciao!