After years of visiting Europe from Los Angeles, I took the plunge and relocated to Barcelona in 2020.
I’ve spent the past six years really making Spain feel like home, but when I first moved, there were definitely a few experiences and cultural norms that took some getting used to.
Here’s what surprised me the most when I moved from the US to Spain.
I knew Barcelona was in Spain, but the region of Catalonia has its own language and culture.
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. When I first moved, I assumed Spanish would be the go-to language, but I was quite mistaken.
When you walk into stores and restaurants, the menus and signs are usually in Catalan. And although everyone speaks Spanish, it’s still good to know a few Catalan words and phrases to be polite and respect the culture.
A few of my favorites are “adéu” (“goodbye”), “si us plau” (“please”), “molt bé” (“very well”), and “merci” (“thank you”).
There are a few unique holiday traditions I had to learn when I moved.
There’s no Valentine’s Day here, but in late April, they have Sant Jordi — a celebration of love during which women are supposed to give a man a book in exchange for a rose.
Many people also celebrate La Mona on the Monday after Easter. Traditionally, godparents give their godchildren an egg-shaped cake for the whole family to enjoy.
My all-time favorite Catalonia traditions come at Christmas.
For the whole month of December, children leave food and water out for Caga Tió, which translates to pooping log. Then they hit the log with a stick on Christmas Eve, and Caga Tió “poops out” presents.
People take this tradition very seriously; the streets of Barcelona are decorated with this pooping log, and just about every store has one in its window.
In the same vein, caganers are another fascinating Christmas tradition in Catalonia. The little pooping figurine is placed in nativity scenes to represent fertilization and hope for the new year.
Now, there are caganer shops all over Barcelona year-round for tourists. Nearly every celebrity has been transformed into a caganer, from Freddy Mercury to SpongeBob SquarePants to Joe Biden.
Tapas are genuinely a way of life here.
Tapas, small, shareable plates, are prevalent in restaurants across Barcelona.
I love this way of dining because you get a little taste of everything. I typically order between three and six tapas to share with a friend or two.
Some of the most popular tapas include croquetas, which are kind of like a breaded meatball; patatas bravas, cubed potatoes served with mayo and a tomato sauce; pimientos del pardón, small fried green peppers; and tortilla espanñola, a Spanish omelet prepared with egg and potato.
I’ve found it surprisingly easy to have a balanced lifestyle here.
Barcelona is known for its nightlife, from great cocktail bars to decadent nightclubs that stay open until the wee hours of the morning. However, it also offers more relaxed activities than I imagined.
Because of the great, warm weather nearly year-round, there are countless outdoor fitness and yoga classes in the parks and on the beaches. I’ve also seen plenty of volleyball and paddleboarding.
I can always balance out a wild night of drinking and dancing with a long stroll on the beach and an afternoon yoga class.
Sandwiches for breakfast are the norm.
A typical Spanish breakfast is a bocadillo, a sandwich served on baguette-style bread.
The bread is first rubbed with fresh tomatoes, referred to as “pan con tomate,” to get the perfect amount of flavor and texture. Then it’s traditionally filled with ham, but sometimes there’s also cheese or a potato omelet inside.
The affordable dish is usually served alongside a coffee in the morning.
I didn’t know about calçots or that there was a traditional way to eat them until I got here.
Calçots season typically runs from late winter into early spring, and it’s quite the experience.
Eating calçots and experiencing the tradition behind them was a first for me. They’re part of the onion family, similar to scallions, and they’re grilled and served with a romesco sauce made from puréed tomato, garlic, and almonds.
Traditionally, you’re given a bib and gloves to dive into the onion dish. The bib is simply to keep you from making a mess of yourself, and the gloves allow you to remove the outer layer of the onion before indulging.
Then you dip your calçot in the sauce, tilt your head back, and eat it in one big gulp.
Here, dinner is served way later than I’m used to.
In the US, I ate dinner around 7 p.m. every night — maybe 8 or 8:30 p.m. if I was working late.
But in Spain, I had to get used to a whole new dining schedule. Dinner is typically served around 9 or 10 p.m.
People really take their time to eat and socialize with whoever they’re dining with, so by the time you’ve finished dessert, it could easily be midnight.
There are mountains and beaches surrounding the city, and you could visit both in a single day.
The Collserola mountains cradle Barcelona from the west, and it only takes about 30 minutes to reach the foothills by public transportation.
From there, you can hike up to the famous Tibidabo amusement park or simply stroll through the trails.
After working up a sweat, you can easily cruise down to the sea and go for an afternoon swim.
Many weekend trips are easily accessible and breathtaking.
Costa Brava, accessible primarily by car or bus, is a short ride from Barcelona.
The coast runs between Spain and France, and it’s simply magical. I can’t help but be hypnotized by the clear turquoise waters and sandy beaches.
In the summer, the beaches are lined with xiringuito, pop-up restaurants that serve tapas and sangria.
The coastline is also jam-packed with history. In the town of Tossa de Mar, you have to crawl through an old castle door to get to one of the beaches, and near Cadaqués, you can visit the house where Salvador Dali lived.
The afternoon siesta is a real thing, and you have to plan accordingly.
“Siestas,” Spanish for naps, are truly a way of life here. If you’re trying to run errands in Spain, be prepared to plan around afternoon and weekend closures.
Although larger retailers like Zara, H&M, and big supermarkets stay open during regular working hours, the smaller mom-and-pop shops usually close from about 2 to 4 p.m. every day.
This is the time for employees to go home and rest, have lunch, or simply take a nap. And just about everything, including the big shops, is closed on Sundays.
Gaudí architecture is everywhere, and it’s beautiful.
Barcelona is full of history and beautiful architecture. Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect whose incredible and intricate designs can be seen all around the city.
I genuinely find myself walking in amazement on a daily basis — I can’t believe I get to take in these incredible sights on my morning commute.
The Sagrada Familia church is arguably his most famous work. Although Gaudí died in 1926, the project was completed in 2026.
This story was originally published in May of 2022 and most recently updated on September 18, 2026.
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