Differences between the US and EU - Utilities

This is the first of our series on the differences between the US and the EU. This is not your average list of shallow differences between life in the good-old U.S. of A and Europe, but rather an in-depth look at how life there (EU) is different than life here (US). I recently moved back to California after a 5-year stint living in Europe. My work had this great opportunity in Barcelona, Spain and I could not pass it up. I lived in Spain from 2013 until late...

April 16, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between the US and EU – School

In general, elementary school is similar between the two countries. But as you would expect, there are a couple key differences; pre-k, schedule, food, required schooling and optional schooling. Pre-K. Unlike the US, there is no differentiation between pre-k and kindergarten. Children between 3 and 5 can attend public school and are placed in different "P" grades; P3, P4 and P5. School hours for P-grades are very similar to elementary school hours, with about a half-hour reduction in overall attendance. Schedule: Overall attendance hours between Spain and the...

April 20, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between the US and EU – Smog Check

On an regular basis, either annually or semi-annually, in the US (certainly in California), your highway vehicle must pass a "smog check". You know, the dreaded visit to the "smog check" shop where if your car passes, you only waste 1 hour of your life, but if it fails, there goes a month. They have the same thing in the EU, it's called ITV (Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehiculos), aka Vehicle Technical inspection. Like in California, you have to have your highway vehicle inspected on a regular basis. The...

April 23, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU - Speeding Warnings

There are speeding laws in the US, just as there are speeding laws in Europe, so there is no real difference there. The major difference is in how those laws are enforced. In the US we are used to having police officers patrol the streets and highways. In Europe they patrol through cameras and radar. You can travel from one country to another and count on one hand the number of police cars you see on the side of the road (if any). But it is the sophistication...

April 29, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU: BYOB

As a European emigrant, one of the most odd things that we experienced when we moved to Europe was their concept of BYOB (Bring your own bulbs). It is common practice in California, that when you rent a house or apartment, it will come equipped with light fixtures and bulbs. That is in addition, in most cases, to basic appliances like a fridge and stove. That was not so in Spain. Moving to Spain was quite a shock, there were too many things that were new to us....

April 30, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU: Alcohol Consumption

This is probably the aspect of Europe we miss the most, drinking alcohol without any shame. If you have always lived in the US, as we had prior to our move, this will be difficult to understand. Part of this apprehension to drinking is how Americans are exposed to it. In the US, in the spectrum of activities, drinking is more of a vice rather than simple consumption. Drinking has been stigmatized for so long that it has been turned into an immoral activity, something you need to...

May 2, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU: Purchasing a used vehicle

Business is setup to work smoothly in the US. Business drives our economy and any added friction to the system is polished out. This means keeping the population working is the #1 priority. In California, purchasing a used vehicle from a private-party or dealer works very similarly. You test-drive the vehicle, agree on a price (plus taxes or fees for a dealer), pay for the vehicle and drive away. If you purchase it from a dealer you'll get the title to the vehicle within a few weeks and...

May 6, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU: Grocery Stores

Oh the horror :D. Yes, that is how we felt when we realized that most shopping malls and grocery stores were closed on Sunday. Depending on where you live in Spain or Italy, your experience will vary, but in general try not to shop on Sunday... you've been warned. In California, we had grown thinking all grocery stores were alike. We have Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Lucky, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, FoodMaxx, etc. These stores vary in terms of price and decor, but they all have one thing in...

May 13, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU: Sorry not checks

While the US has quickly evolved through various means of electronic payments; paypal, venmo, Apple pay, Google pay, credit cards, and crypto, checks remain a widely-used form of transactional payment. You guessed it, not in Spain. No, in Spain and most of Europe, the most common form of transactional payments are either cash or electronic transfers. Most accounts in Europe use a uniform account format; International Bank Account Number (IBAN). Because the account number, or IBAN, is uniform you can transfer money across countries just easily as you...

May 19, 2019

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Ro Saiciton

Differences between US and EU: Taxes

As a US citizen, there are only two truths in life, death and taxes. While living in the US, we are taught, through our parents and practice, that taxes are a pain. Few can argue that taxes in the US are not a pain. And they are more of a pain if you live in a state which also has an income tax (I'm looking at your California). So we were both surprised and relieved to see how taxes were done in Spain. First, I'll share the pain,...

May 28, 2019

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Ro Saiciton