A Key Ingredient to a Better Life

Exploring how mini annual sabbaticals in Spain form an integral part of overall well-being

I’m embracing a slower summer pace and it seems Substack writers are feeling the same. The below is a slightly edited post from July of last year that I’m resharing for the new subscribers who have started following along since then.

---

I’ve been living in Sevilla for just over 10 years. Before I moved here, I thought that cultural differences would have been obvious from the get-go, and many are. The eating schedule that’s so radically different from the U.S. Jamón legs hanging from the ceilings at restaurants and bars. The way people spend so much time out and about in public spaces. The rampant Spanish belief that A/C makes you sick.

But there are also more subtle differences that take years to notice. And even the big differences seem to hit differently the more time passes. As you weave yourself deeper into the cultural tapestry and are reciprocally woven into the tapestry, there’s further enmeshment. You live the cultural differences for extended periods and you start to understand said differences in a new dimension.

It’s like in the first few years I was so enchanted with all the novelty that I didn’t truly absorb the more nuanced complexities of Spanish life. I was aware of them on a surface level, but the degree of that awareness continues to deepen with the passing of time.

One of the cultural nuances I’ve thought a lot about over the last few years is a deeper layer to the obvious difference that Spaniards have a lot more time off than we do in the U.S. It’s not just the fact that they have time off. It’s the way they live that time-off with a particular cadence.

The profound effects of the almost ritualistic annual summer holidays in Spain have become more apparent as I feel the impact of living the experience regularly.

Setting the Scene: Spanish Summer Holidays

Every summer, a majority (it feels drastic to say “everyone”, but it’s close) of Spaniards take an average of 2-4 weeks off in August. Sevilla essentially shuts down in July and August unless you work in tourism or at one of the franchise clothing stores downtown.

If you aren’t lucky enough to live on the coast, you likely have a parent, aunt, grandparent, or close friend who has a place on the beach where you’re invited to spend parts of the summer.

Alternatively, some people rent a beach apartment for a quincena (2 weeks) on the beach at a very elevated high-season price, but hey it’s what you have to do, all in the name of having a real summer and a real vacation because the concept of working all summer without a break is quite literally unthinkable to the locals here.

When I was at the fruit shop this week one of the employees, Jose, excitedly shared his summer plans. It was the first thing he mentioned when I walked in the door. He is headed to his favorite beach, Playa de la Estrella.

He explained with fervor how it’s the best beach in Andalucía. Many people camp on the beach. No need to rent an expensive apartment or crash with family members. He told me how his dad brought him there every summer growing up. And now he has two kids and he brings them there every summer (they’re 5 and 6 now).

“He cogido el mes entero de agosto!” (I have the whole month off in August!) he shared, as he show me videos at the beach from last summer.

The fruit shop closes the whole month of August, so naturally he also gets the whole month off. The owner Juanma stepped in on the conversation and explained how because Sevilla is so empty in August, it doesn’t make sense for him to stay open. While admittedly difficult as a business owner from an economic perspective, there’s a tacit joy there as well in always knowing he gets a month off each year.

I always look forward to going to the fruit shop and connecting with Juanma and Jose. These mindfulness moments are part of why I love living here. I have to wonder if they feel more present and engaged each day because they get to disconnect for an extended period each year. They’re not burned out from never stopping. After the summer holidays, I’ll ask them their thoughts.

Summer Vacation, Made Simple

There’s a sweet simplicity to spending summer holidays at the same beach, year after year. You don’t need to worry about organizing flight details, double-checking the baggage restrictions, investigating the best restaurants to visit, worrying about how to get from the airport to the hotel, etc.

While the first few years I was here I couldn’t comprehend staying in Spain for these annual summer holidays, I have come around to loving this vacationing style too. I look forward to knowing every summer I’ll be eating at my favorite restaurants El Faro and Taberna Chef del Mar in El Puerto de Santa Maria.

I don’t need to research anything ahead of my trip. There’s no mental heavy lifting to the planning. It’s like I’m visiting a second home. Many of my friends from Sevilla go to the same beach town, and it’s fun to bond amidst a different beachy backdrop.

This tradition of extended time off in the summer was appealing to me from day one and I saw value to it. But it’s only in recent years I’ve started to think it’s one of the key factors to overall well-being here in Spain.

Consistency of Mini-Sabbaticals

My personal observation of Spaniards is that they enjoy life on a deeper level. They seem more fulfilled and prioritize community in a way that the US does not. As I’ve lived the effects of this mini annual sabbatical year after year, I’ve come to believe it is a key factor that contributes to this cultural joie de vivre.

Imagine taking 2-4 weeks off every year, at the same time of the year, while everyone else is doing it too. This forces a break to your routine that becomes a familiar friend over time (believe me, I hated it at first, which is why I started this post off mentioning the importance of not just observing cultural differences but living them longer term). There’s a calm connectivity through the collective pause.

Because everyone is taking time off together, or at least slowing down, you’re less likely to experience the away-from-work anxiety of “what problems will be awaiting me when I get back" (oh wait, is that just a me thing? ;) ). Almost everyone is on vacation so there is less work happening. Typically urgent projects are effortlessly postponed until after the summer.

The part that I’ve loved most over the years is how this consistent holiday schedule has chiseled itself into my life. It now forms a part of the way I live and I wouldn’t want it to be any other way (ok, I’d take even more time if I could).

Summer holidays are a constant, in the same way they were in high school. “Are you going on vacation?” is never the question around this time of year. The assumption is you are.

The question is instead framed as “What are you going to be doing for your summer vacation” which subtly provides a window into how deep-rooted this tradition is: everyone takes time off. This perennial Spanish prompt intersperses every conversation, whether it’s with close friends, the dentist, or friends from spin class.

There’s also an excitement to sharing those plans with others who wholeheartedly share in that same joy because guess what, they’re going on vacation too. No vacation envy here! We’re all soaking in the Spanish sun, peeling gambas de Huelva at a chiringuito, and having a cool refresco or caña together. We’re connecting through vacation as a shared experience.

This annual ritual of scheduled, extended vacations where you mindfully step away from the daily grind facilitates a level of deeper well-being that I believe is much more difficult to attain without. In fact, I’d say these mini sabbaticals are a contender for a standardized norm we could all get on board with.

Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash