Sincerely, Spain Sincerely, Spain

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  • Claudia and the dog Elvi on a boat
    Adapting,  Culture,  Living Abroad in Finland

    Making Friends as a Foreigner in Finland

    October 20, 2022 /

    Please Note: This post contains paid links to products, which means that we have received compensation for their inclusion. For more information, see our disclosures here. Thanks for your support!   Dear Hanna, I know, this is a blog about living abroad and thriving in Spain, right? Well, four years ago I decided that I wasn’t going to live in Spain any more and chose to pick up my life once again and more to Finland. Now, over three and a half years later, I am still here and enjoying my life in a way I never really expected to. I haven’t talked about life in Finland much, but I…

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    July 10, 2018

    Understanding Spain’s Policy on Coronavirus

    June 30, 2020

    My Real Life in Spain

    December 22, 2022
  • Confessions,  Expat Life in Spain,  How to,  Living Abroad

    Confessions: After 8+ Years Living in Spain, It’s Still Hard to Make Friends!

    September 1, 2022 /

    Dear Chantal, If you’ve been following the Sincerely, Spain blog for a while, you know I have more than eight years of experience when it comes to expat life in Spain. You know that Claudia and I can speak as authorities on the subject but let me tell you—it is still really hard to make new friends! At the beginning of 2022, my husband and I moved away from Granada and into a beautiful new location. As much as I love it, finding myself in a Spanish town where I knew no one has really forced me out of my comfort zone. For the first time in a long time,…

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    Confessions: I make people take their shoes off at home

    July 12, 2018

    Accepting My Own Journey Part II

    January 23, 2025

    Confessions: I’m a Workaholic

    April 21, 2020
  • How to,  Thriving

    How to: Find Community and Make Friends Online

    February 18, 2021 /

    In the weird world we currently live in, you may feel isolated need to consider creative ways to feel connected. We’ve got lots of tips for where you can find community online and how you can make new friends—virtually.

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    How to: Choose the Best Bla Bla Car

    January 9, 2018

    Four Must-know Banking Tips Before You Move to Spain

    June 29, 2018

    How to: Make Friends with Spaniards

    March 10, 2020
  • Adapting,  Culture,  Living Abroad

    What to Expect when Making Plans with Spaniards

    January 19, 2021 /

    Culture affects everything―right down to the way we understand and make plans! If you've tried planning with Spaniards and come away a bit frustrated or are looking to make plans with new friends and wondering what to anticipate, these insights are just for you.

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    Where Can I Buy That? Clothes Edition

    December 12, 2019

    What Does it Mean to Group Intercambio?

    October 15, 2020

    Understanding Bars in Spain

    October 19, 2018
  • Balance,  Culture,  Thriving

    Being Friends with the Opposite Sex

    March 12, 2020 /

    Making friends in new places is never easy but add in the fact that you have to follow cultural norms and you will start wondering how it is even possible. Check out this article for a little bit of insight into  friendships according to Spanish gender norms. 

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    Related Posts

    Taking All Your Classes in Spanish

    January 19, 2018

    Letters to a New Year (Dani)

    January 4, 2018

    To Party or Not to Party

    October 26, 2017
  • Adapting,  How to

    How to: Make Friends with Spaniards

    March 10, 2020 /

    Do you feel frustrated that you are not making that many native friends while abroad? I have a theory about that and several tips for how to improve your chances at making local friends.

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    6 ways to sharpen your soft skills by living in Spain

    March 16, 2023

    Student-Teacher Relationships in Spain (Part I)

    June 8, 2018

    There’s Something Magical About the First Time―at an Intercambio

    November 24, 2017
  • Living Abroad,  Thriving

    Creating Spanish Friendship by Staying True to Yourself

    July 18, 2019 /

    Making friends as an adult isn’t easy. This is Part II in a two part series where we get into the details about creating friendships in Spain. Today we are diving into how to make friends while being true to yourself.

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    Being Thankful: Celebrating Thanksgiving in Spain

    November 28, 2019

    Expat Life in Madrid

    August 31, 2021

    The Complete Guide to Ambiguous Expat Grief

    May 18, 2023
  • Adapting,  Food

    Creating Spanish Friendship Through Food and Drink

    July 16, 2019 /

    We have talked about making friends with Spaniards before but in this two part series we dive into how making friends in Spain is related to food and drink. Part one is dedicated to understanding and adapting.

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    How to: order beer in Spain

    July 9, 2019

    The Importance of Coffee Shops in Spain

    November 6, 2018

    Confessions: That Three Month Feeling

    December 19, 2017
  • Adapting,  How to,  Study Abroad

    Making the Most of Your Host Family Experience

    May 28, 2019 /

    Living in a homestay with a host family is a wonderful way to immerse in the local culture. However, you’ve got to put forth the effort if you want to get the most out of this experience. Here are our top four tips (as well as a video!!) on how.

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    The Roller Coaster of Learning a Language

    August 13, 2019

    Find Your Why for Being Abroad

    October 10, 2019

    Everyone Has an Opinion… on the U.S.A.

    September 17, 2020
  • Language Learning,  Thriving

    Making Mistakes, but Just Wanting to Move on

    April 4, 2019 /

    One of the most frustration aspects of practicing a non-native language is how your mistakes can often be honed in on while your point is overlooked. In terms of having successful communication, I believe it’s often best to recognize mistakes but also move on.

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    February 28, 2021

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    April 25, 2021

    Easy Spanish for Restaurants

    April 30, 2019
  • Confessions,  Thriving

    Confessions: I am Vulnerable in Friendships

    January 31, 2019 /

    I personally find it hard to make good friends and one of the reasons why is because that requires me to be vulnerable. However, I believe that strong relationships should be made this way, let me tell you why.

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    Confessions: After 8+ Years Living in Spain, It’s Still Hard to Make Friends!

    September 1, 2022

    The Story of How We Met

    May 14, 2020

    Confessions: I am Feeling Vulnerable in these Uncertain Times

    November 26, 2020
  • Travel

    Top Tips for Making food in Hostels/Airbnb

    September 25, 2018 /

    Thinking about how you are going to make the most of the kitchen at your hostel or Airbnb? Check out our top tips to ensure that you have a good experience cooking during your travels.

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    What You Need to Know About Travel Insurance in Spain

    November 3, 2019

    What You Need to Know about Valladolid

    February 11, 2018

    Figuring Out What Kind of Traveler You Are

    September 7, 2017
123

Sincerely, Spain

We're Dani and Claudia, two American expats with a love of Spain. Let us be your guide to Spanish culture, language-learning, living abroad.

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