'I ditched the US to live in Spain and one thing still takes me by surprise'

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

If you ever moved to or even visited a new country, you've most likely experienced some sort of cultural shock with how people live or the societal norms of that country.
This is a common occurrence that can manifest itself in a variety of different ways, including anxiety, stress, and a sense of isolation as individuals try to adjust to new customs, social norms, and daily routines. It can be triggered by various factors like language barriers, unfamiliar food, different social customs, and the absence of familiar support systems. However, this will soon fade into adjustment and possibly even adaption as you may start to adapt the new ways of life.
So when American woman Shelby moved to Seville in Spain to study abroad, she was bound to experience some cultural differences. What she hadn't expected, however, was that she'd still experience some of the culture shock years after having made the move across the Atlantic ocean permanent.
She decided to take to her TikTok account to make a video about the one big cultural difference she still hasn't gotten used to after having lived in Spain for several years.
"One thing that will always shock me about Spain that I don't think I'll ever get used to is going topless at the beach," she said in her video, as she was seen walking along the beach.
She went onto say she 'kind of forgot' about the custom at home as she hadn't been to a Spanish beach in over two years. However, she soon was reminded of it as she saw a woman walk around with her chest bare.
"I was like 'oh my God'," she said, showing how she'd covered her eyes with her hand. "And then I remembered. I'm not even trying to hate or judge at all. It's just, coming from the US where that's definitely not the norm, it's still super shocking to see every time."
She went onto reveal in the caption of her video: "What's funny is, in most ways, I actually find Spain more conservative than the USA… especially when it comes to clothing. If I had to sum up Spanish style in one word, it would be modest."
"I don't know, maybe I'll get used to it some day, but I kind of doubt it," she admitted in the video, before asking her viewers if this is also the norm in other countries, or whether it's something they'd ever considered doing.
People soon took to the comment section of the video, where people went on to share their own thoughts and opinions about the matter.
"Better to go the full Monty. No tan lines. On Spanish beaches, it's not illegal. In many places. Same in France," one viewer shared.
A second person shared: "I think it's quite healthy to see normal women's bodies in all shapes and forms, not filled up with plastic, think many young girls would benefit from it. I grew up with it, it never bothered me or anyone else in my surroundings."
"I am from Germany and here it's not something a lot of people do, but it's also not completely unusual. In the south of Europe, it's much more common," a third viewer shared.