Never Retire: Every Detail On How We Found Our Apartment In Spain
Turns out that we didn't even have to go on an 'apartment hunt' and the complainers might be wrong
The more I experience life in Spain, the more I feel like the things you read online—particularly in Facebook groups about relocating here—are, to put it mildly, wrong and, in many cases, toxic.
The more things we experience first hand, the more I draw this conclusion. As this happens, I walk the fine line between—
Realizing that this is our experience, as to not generalize it.
Understanding that I should project—as in, “universalize”—our experience at least a little, as to counter the inaccurate narratives that take on lives of their own and get accepted as fact by too many people.
Acknowledging that we are new here and to this experience, so what do I know!?
Giving myself some credit for being a living, breathing thinking human who can draw conclusions based on what I see and perceive to be happening around me. I can take the temperature of the room quite well, particularly when it’s a bunch of English speakers with not-so-nice and complimentary things to say about a Spanish-speaking nation.
There’s a fine line between cocky and confident. Between humility and having strong opinions. Between being a dick and telling it like you see it. I do my best to thoughtfully walk that line. And—sometimes—you sell yourself short when you defer too much. So—in today’s post—I am going for it. At least a little.
Make no mistake—it’s the English speakers—(primarily from the United States and Great Britain)—who paint the picture online that any aspect of Spain that involves even a hint of bureaucracy is inefficient, bungled before it starts, backwards and designed only to make their privileged lives that much harder.
I know this might sound harsh, but—trust me—I have spent enough time in the Facebook groups to know that it’s not even close to as harsh as the many English-speaking critiques you see of Spain in them. And these are critical assessments from people with an interest in and—in some fashion—an affinity for the country.
Mind-boggling. Many of these complainers seem to only bask in the sunshine as they put up with Spain.
You might logically ask, then why would you subject yourself to the inanity of Facebook groups? Excellent question. And the answer is because there’s lots of valuable information in the groups. Plus, you find resources you might not otherwise discover. For better or worse, the Facebook groups are the main gathering places for people considering or making a move to Spain.
The problem isn’t merely the aforementioned toxicity. It’s what it does to people like me. Based on the comments people make and horror stories they tell, I was actually a bit more than nervous to go on our apartment “hunt”—(that’s today’s subject)—and open a Spanish bank account—(tomorrow’s topic).
Heck, I booked a temporary apartment through the middle of February due to this nervousness. We’ll end up paying for about two weeks that it turns out we don’t need.
Even with both of the apartment and bank tasks nearly complete, I still have a surreal feeling. A sense of surprise that—as you’ll read—everything has gone—(so far!)—quite smoothly.