"Life in the Streets"

While living in Sevilla, when I asked a student what they had done over the weekend, a common response was "I went to the streets." As you can imagine, I wasn't quite sure how to take this! I quickly realized that this was a literal translation from Spanish and meant they had gone out with friends and spent most of the night outside, on the street.

Although life in Barcelona doesn't revolve quite as much around "the streets" as Sevilla does, it is still a big part of the lifestyle here. To this day, almost ten months since I moved here, I have never walked outside after 11am and not seen someone enjoying a coffee, beer, or tapa at a bar or restaurant. Now that spring has arrived and summer is around the corner, everyone is outdoors enjoying a drink with friends.

Needless to say, this makes Barcelona a very difficult place to save money! Even when I have the best intentions of just going home and not spending a cent, it's so hard to do when you pass people on every corner enjoying Spanish life! Matias and I always go to a nearby bar with the intention of having only one beer or glass (or bottle :) of wine. Yet, once we're around the people and the conversations and the energy that is life in this city, that one drink always turns into a few more. You just don't want to leave!

I know, it's not exactly a big problem - save a couple of euros or enjoy a beer or two outside. However, it is something that never ceases to amaze me. Today, I managed to save a few euros, but only because I didn't take a stroll outside my apartment :)