Moving to a new city is a life-changing decision and you'll have lots of new experiences. You'll make new friends, start a new job, learn a new language - or in the case of a bilingual city like Barcelona, you might even learn two! You'll also pick up some new habits, things that seemed strange when you first moved here, but now you don't give them a second thought!
Eating sandwiches for breakfast
Back home, breakfast consisted of cereal, porridge or toast. Maybe eggs, if it was the weekend. But now you live in Barcelona and it seems perfectly normal to have a cheese and jamón baguette for breakfast.
Boiling water in a pot
The days when an electric kettle was an essential component of any kitchen are far behind you. You've adapted to your new reality and boiling water in a pot is the natural thing to do. Sure, you've scalded yourself a couple of times but that's just how it's done here!
Eating Bikinis
If you're British you probably called them toasties. If you're American, you probably used to refer to this sandwich as a grilled cheese. And when you first arrived, you would be baffled by all the cafe chalkboards advertising bikinis at 2.50€. But now you'll order a bikini at a bar (probably for breakfast!) without batting an eyelid!
Dressing casually
Gone are the days when a night out involved an hour of getting ready beforehand. Party dresses, high heels, little glittery bags - these are foreign concepts in Barcelona nightlife, and if you do see a girl tottering down Joaquin Costa in stilettos on a Friday night you know she's a tourist! You're much more likely to see people out in shorts and T-shirts, flat shoes on and tote bags over their shoulders, and that's just fine. Less time getting ready means more time drinking vermouth with your friends!
Getting woken up every night by garbage trucks
Barcelona is a leading example of how city design can encourage people to recycle, with designated recycling points on every street. Does this mean you are woken up by the crash of recycled bottles being dumped in the glass truck at 2am? Yes. But think of how much it helps the environment and then go back to sleep feeling smug about your low carbon footprint.
Hating cycle tours
At home, if you saw a group of people cycling together, you'd think, Oh, how nice! You'd be reminded of the Von Trapp children. Maybe you'd even smile at them as they passed. But now cycle tours are a plague in your neighborhood, and you grit your teeth and glare at these happy groups as they clog up the pavement, cycle the wrong way up the street and clutter up the plaças. Don't worry - it just means you're becoming a local!
Waiting forever to get served, and not being bothered about it
It used to drive you crazy, but now you're quite happy to sit at a table for fifteen minutes before the waiter comes to take your order, and fully prepared for another twenty minute wait for your cafe con leche. Yes, it was annoying when you first arrived, but you've adapted - you now go for coffee forty minutes before you actually want a coffee.
Always knowing which direction the sea is
Yes, it makes you sound like a crazed sailor with sea fever, but constantly checking the direction of the sea is how you navigate the city. Your internal compass used to be set to north and south, but now it's set to the sea and the mountains. And there is something comforting about knowing you're never far from the beach!
What weird habits have you picked up since you moved to Barcelona?
