cultural shock: vacations

A year ago, I moved to Spain, and it’s been quite an adventure. Some things align well with my lifestyle, while others are completely different from what I expected or imagined. One of the things that has stood out to me the most is the work-life balance and it’s not just my impression. It’s widely believed that people in Mediterranean Europe have an exceptional way of living.

The most interesting cultural shock I’ve experienced has been around vacations. This year, for example, I get 26 vacation days. I honestly can’t even wrap my head around that number and they’re not calendar days, they’re working days. That means five full weeks and one extra day. For instance, I could go on vacation from November 29th and come back January 11th and still have one day left. To me, that’s wild.

But around here, it seems totally normal. It’s common to see stores close for the entire month of August and I’m experiencing that firsthand. The butcher shop where I buy my meat, the rotisserie I usually go to, and even the corner store are all closed for the whole month. They just post a note on the shutter saying when they’ll be back.

In my mind, I used to think you could just hire someone to cover for you, or reduce your hours, or maybe just take a couple of weeks off. But I’ve realized I was wrong, vacations are important, enjoying life is part of the culture, and maybe I need to rewire my thinking a bit.

For now, I’ll enjoy a quiet week off without worrying too much about how many days I’m using, and escape the summer heat for a bit.