Spain had always been on our bucket list. I had always dreamed of visiting Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona. We were initially considering Spain as a honeymoon destination before we found out my husband's job would be taking us there anyway post-wedding. Now my husband has had the chance to call Spain home for a little while, and it's been an adventure adapting to the Spanish way of life.

Look 1: Ulla Johnson dress (currently on sale in red at 30% off with code MAINEVENT16; also available in red, yellow, and black), Eugenia Kim hat, Gucci bag, Chloè flats, Celine sunglasses Look 2: Yumi Kim dress c/o (currently on sale at 25% off with code MAINEVENT16), Illesteva sunglasses, Valia Gabriel sandals (old, similar here)

Spaniards are all about enjoying and embracing life. They work hard, but they don't work too hard and you're reminded of that everywhere you go. They take a leisurely approach to things, and I was certainly taking tips from them as I spent time there. When I first visited Spain in May, their way of life took some getting used to. For example, siestas threw me off more than they were relaxing. Between the hours of 5 and 8, food isn't typically served at restaurants - just drinks. In Madrid you're more likely to find a restaurant that will still serve tapas at that time due to the amount of tourists with bodies on all sorts of different inner clocks, but not many offer that in Cáceres. Not complaining though, because it gave my husband and I an excuse to gather friends for drinks and laughter before dinner. Dinner typically begins around 9 pm in Spain, although 10 pm seems to be the peak time. As someone who usually eats dinner around 7 pm in Los Angeles, that certainly took some getting used to. Also, food is not rushed in Spain. You're encouraged to enjoy yourselves with plenty of food and drink for as long as you want. I wish it was like that more at home, since I am used to feeling rushed out before I have finished eating my meal so they can seat more. Spanish cities don't seem to sleep until 2 or 3 am. In the Plaza Mayor of Cáceres, restaurants don't start packing away tables and chairs until way past 1 am. Nightclubs also don't typically open until 2 or 3 am. I am not one who is active in the nightclub scene, but plenty of our friends are. My only complaint about life in Spain would be that their menus very much full of ham, pork, and veal - things I do not eat. They do, however, have probably some of the freshest seafood I have ever eaten in my life. La Barraca in Madrid still has my favorite seafood paella (which my husband and I enjoyed on our six month wedding anniversary earlier this month). Wine is also not expensive at all in Spain, with one bottle costing you what one glass would in New York City. I would love to incorporate the Spanish way of life into life at home in Los Angeles. Clearly the Spaniards are all about eating, drinking, and being merry and I am certainly not going to complain about that! Life is short, and Spaniards aren't planning on wasting it. I cannot wait to return in a few weeks! Photos by Torrance Coombs.

Spain had always been on our bucket list. I had always dreamed of visiting Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona. We were initially considering Spain as a honeymoon destination before we found out my husband’s job would be taking us there anyway post-wedding. Now my husband has had the chance to call Spain home for a little while, and it’s been an adventure adapting to the Spanish way of life.

Look 1: Ulla Johnson dress (currently on sale in red at 30% off with code MAINEVENT16; also available in red, yellow, and black), Eugenia Kim hat, Gucci bag, Chloè flats, Celine sunglasses
Look 2: Yumi Kim dress c/o (currently on sale at 25% off with code MAINEVENT16), Illesteva sunglasses, Valia Gabriel sandals (old, similar here)

Spaniards are all about enjoying and embracing life. They work hard, but they don’t work too hard and you’re reminded of that everywhere you go. They take a leisurely approach to things, and I was certainly taking tips from them as I spent time there. When I first visited Spain in May, their way of life took some getting used to.

For example, siestas threw me off more than they were relaxing. Between the hours of 5 and 8, food isn’t typically served at restaurants – just drinks. In Madrid you’re more likely to find a restaurant that will still serve tapas at that time due to the amount of tourists with bodies on all sorts of different inner clocks, but not many offer that in Cáceres. Not complaining though, because it gave my husband and I an excuse to gather friends for drinks and laughter before dinner.
Dinner typically begins around 9 pm in Spain, although 10 pm seems to be the peak time. As someone who usually eats dinner around 7 pm in Los Angeles, that certainly took some getting used to. Also, food is not rushed in Spain. You’re encouraged to enjoy yourselves with plenty of food and drink for as long as you want. I wish it was like that more at home, since I am used to feeling rushed out before I have finished eating my meal so they can seat more.
Spanish cities don’t seem to sleep until 2 or 3 am. In the Plaza Mayor of Cáceres, restaurants don’t start packing away tables and chairs until way past 1 am. Nightclubs also don’t typically open until 2 or 3 am. I am not one who is active in the nightclub scene, but plenty of our friends are.
My only complaint about life in Spain would be that their menus very much full of ham, pork, and veal – things I do not eat. They do, however, have probably some of the freshest seafood I have ever eaten in my life. La Barraca in Madrid still has my favorite seafood paella (which my husband and I enjoyed on our six month wedding anniversary earlier this month). Wine is also not expensive at all in Spain, with one bottle costing you what one glass would in New York City.
I would love to incorporate the Spanish way of life into life at home in Los Angeles. Clearly the Spaniards are all about eating, drinking, and being merry and I am certainly not going to complain about that! Life is short, and Spaniards aren’t planning on wasting it. I cannot wait to return in a few weeks!

Photos by Torrance Coombs.