My Love Letter To Spain

I want to die in Spain

Recently, I read a piece penned by an American man from Michigan, Larry Shy, who had fallen in love with Spain. His passion was visible enough in the video he posted.

Here is the link to the video, I am not sure you will be able to play it if you live in the States.

After spending half a decade in this place, I felt inspired to compose a love letter to my newly adopted country.

Although some of my observations may match those of Larry’s, they are still my own personal views after being here for some time.

Beauty

The moment I arrived in Spain 5 years ago, I was mesmerized by your incredible beauty around me. The architecture, gardens, streets, squares, and people were all so stunning. This was a welcome change from living in the United States for two decades where beauty and aesthetics can be hard to come by. Everywhere I looked there were strip malls, big box stores, and parking lots lacking any real charm.

Definitely not beautiful. Maybe practical but not pretty.

But you Spain showed me the beauty and how to be immersed in all this splendor around me, it was like nourishment for my soul; I simply couldn’t get enough.

Food

Spain, I love you for your truly delicious food. Not only is the restaurant fare amazing, but grocery stores are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly baked loaves of bread, and an incredible variety of cheeses.

Plus, the fish selections are out of this world — so many different species that I’ve never seen anywhere else!

The mere thought of freshly grilled sardines on a bed of charcoal, seasoned with only sea salt and topped with a generous squeeze of lemon juice makes my mouth water.

Thanks to the delicious food here, I was able to lose 30 pounds in the first 6 months of living here.

It must be the food!

Community

The people stole my heart for sure. The moment I arrived, I could feel the friendliness and warm welcome in the air.

Even without speaking your language just using google translate you people of Spain were very patient with me.

No one mocked me for my less-than-perfect Spanish. Everyone was trying to be understanding and supportive.

Just like Larry in the video above had noticed a cute elderly couple, all dressed up, strolling down the alleyways for some tapas on Wednesday afternoon. It gave you a sense of belonging in the community.

After I got into my car accident — I can’t even remember how it happened — someone called the police and the ambulance. A kind lady, a complete stranger, dried my tears with her napkin.

When I was at home recovering, my lovely old neighbors came by to make sure I was all right.

Thank you all. I had never experienced such kindness from total strangers.

It is a way of life

Spain is the place I want to die. Because I am surrounded by everyday beauty, tasting delicious food, and living within a welcoming community and its lovely people.

My five years in Spain have shown me that life is not only about achieving success and getting rich.

My life is about enjoying the little things, like taking a walk through the streets in the beautiful city of Granada or drinking a glass of wine with friends. Also, taking time to truly appreciate the beauty of the world around me.

What can I add nothing just a big THANK YOU!