Whenever one travels to a new place, one is sure to notice the many differences between home and the foreign spot. Live there long enough and the differences get a bit surprising.

There are two aspects of Spanish life that are so obvious that there's no way they could be missed: the language and the architecture. The latter could be said of most places as America is too young to have the incredibly old buildings the rest of the world has.

Here are some other facts I've learned and/or noticed:

*Spain's political party currently in charge is socialist. They participate in what is called social-democracy.

*Healthcare here is free under social medicine. You could even get a free sex change if you were unhappy with your born gender. The logic is that you should be happy with your body. Abortions can be had if the woman was violated, the pregnancy endangers the mother's life, the baby will have extreme defects, or the woman can't financially support the child.

*Gay marriage is legal and gay couples can adopt children. Whoa, but isn't Spain a highly religious (Catholic) country? Yes, yes they are. And you know how Spaniards live happily? Separation of Church and State. I'm pretty sure America had this concept first and yet…a country full of people who are trying to get the words "under God" removed from the Pledge cite the sanctity of marriage as their basis against gay marriage. Interesting, no? Ok, back to less controversial issues.

*A person's personal space is much smaller here. People stand closely if they are speaking to each other and it is very common to see people walking arm in arm.

*Say you had a shopping list of bread, a soccer ball, new keys and socks. In Mountain Home you could go to the store and get all these items in one trip. In Spain, each of these items would have to be purchased at the respective store specializing in those goods.

*Older children still live with their parents as the cost for separate housing is very expensive. Even if the adult has a well-paying job and his own place, it's probably within a close proximity of his parent's apartment. My senora has 10 adult children and all, save the two who live here, live within a few hours.

*This is odd to me, but they eat practically every part of every edible animal. Going to the grocery the first time was a fun experience. I was amazed at the body parts wrapped in plastic for sale: all sorts of organs and parts we generally discard.

*Being barefoot inside is considered a sign of poor education. I enjoy being barefoot and twice tried to run to the shower sans socks. Both times I was caught by my senora who warned me that I was going to catch cold.

*Dryers are non-existent. I think this reflects their efforts to conserve energy as it is quite expensive. Instead, all clothes are line-dried.

*Some common American food staples are rarely eaten here. For example, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, marshmallows and syrup are difficult to find.

*Spain enjoys a daily siesta from about 2pm-5pm. That means most of the stores close and the only open places are restaurants or tapas bars.

*The drinking age here is only 18. While I'm sure some Spaniards regularly indulge in binge-drinking, it isn't nearly as common. My first professor told us she had been drunk only three times in her life and two of those times were in Wisconsin. This is interesting as wine and beer are consumed in vast quantities here. They drink in moderation and while eating.

*Ah, hairstyles. Inexplicably, the mullet is very popular here among the counterculture set. I've even seen dreadlock mullets. And this style isn't only for men; women also are up for shaving the sides of their heads.

*Ok, I only know this because my family and I discussed engagements, but apparently it is a custom here for the man to present his fiancée with a ring and then, a few days later, for the women to give her fiancé some sort of gift like a nice watch.

*In America, some people still support President Bush. Here, and in every place I've traveled, I often get this reaction after saying I'm American, "F*** Bush!" Wow. Also, election news is broadcast here. I didn't really understand why at first, but as America is the world's superpower I guess they are concerned who the next leader will be. For the record, the overwhelming support is in favor of Obama. McCain isn't even mentioned and Clinton only with disdain.

I'm not saying I agree with all these differences, just that they exist. I might have a stronger opinion if I were a citizen here, but I know I'll be stateside within a few months. Still, though, it is interesting to see how a group of people live by mores and customs different than my own.