As I rode the metro to work today I got into my typical “zoned-out” mode and almost missed my stop. When I didn’t freak out like usually would have I got to thinking of how different it feels to be in Barcelona rather then being home. Some stuff – like the lack of deodorant users made me a little homesick but several other things made me realize I don’t miss being home quite so much. Those good differences make me wish life was the same back in the states, but for the time being I’ll just rejoice in knowing I can take full advantage of them for the next couple weeks. Here are the things I don’t miss about home.

1. Driving

Back home if you don’t have a car you’re SOL – shit out of luck. Having to constantly bother your friends and family to take you from point a to point b can be awful especially when you love in a big city who’s transport system isn’t all that great. Here having a car is almost worse – you’re bound to hit traffic or have trouble finding parking so public transportation is a much better option. Aside from this I now don’t have to worry about road rage – and I’ll admit I’m a victim of road rage especially when I’m in a hurry and things don’t seem to go my way. Unlike back home the metro comes every couple minutes so if I time it all out I can count on being on time and in a good mood.

This point leads me to my next thing I don’t miss.

2. Constantly worrying about time

At home I feel like every day is the same. You have a routine and for someone like myself who has to balance 2 jobs, going to school full time and fulfill my duties for the organizations I’m involved with, it can get a bit hectic. I feel like I’m never home and when I am, it’s always in and out – usually as I run with 30 things in my hands, changing in the car, constantly looking at the clock. I barely have time to breathe and much less to sleep. Unlike at home, in Barcelona I feel like I have all the time in the world. I never worry about checking the time and I’m rarely in a big hurry. It feels as though time moves slower than usual and even when I’m running a couple minutes behind, I know that people are a lot more flexible so being behind isn’t such a struggle. When I’m done with work I walk home and know I can enjoy the scenery, or I can stop and look around, grab a bite to eat and wander around the city with no time constraint. It’s absolutely unwinding in the best way possible.

This also leads to my last point.

3. Need to check your social media

I’ll be the first to say that I love my share of social media and that I can sometimes spend a little too much time on it which is why Barcelona has been so great for me. Not having a working phone is the best thing that could’ve happened to me – it made me appreciate my surroundings and allowed me to use that free time for more productive things. This isn’t to say I don’t use it at all because it’s helped me keep in touch with my friends but it sure has been a nice break from constantly worrying about stupid stuff like how many “likes” I receive in one picture.

In the end all these things that I’ve realized I don’t miss all discern a similar message and that is that there is more to life. Road rage, worries about time and social media can take away from a perfectly good day. If we jus put those things in the back of our minds there is so much more in the world that we can take advantage of in our every day life.