Live to work or work to live?

For me this cliché represents the difference between my life in America and my life in Spain. There is a fundamental lifestyle difference between these two of my favorite countries. I cannot say which is better or worse, although I do have my theories. What it comes down to are priorities. The USA is a country founded on “The American Dream,” the idea that anyone through hard work can be successful. And what does it mean to be successful? Well that is not an easy question to answer.

Ask a Spaniard what it means to be successful and sure, some might answer that making money is important to them. But is it their main purpose in life? It is safe to say, no. Spaniards, from my experience, are very family oriented and social people. They enjoy spending time together over tapas and a cerveza or a two-hour lunch.  Ever met a NY banker with a two-hour lunch break? I think not.

So here I am, a New Yorker with a Spanish state of mind. (I was brainwashed during my two years there.) Is this a sustainable way to live? Why can Spaniards get away with a 25-hour workweek? How can banks be open only 5 days a week and close at 2pm daily? Sure you are thinking the results of this way of life are 25% unemployment and an all time worst economic crisis.

But change the definition of success from being rich to being happy and there you have a fundamental difference between the way a Spaniard and an American (New Yorker at least) thinks. The key to a successful life is not necessarily a high-powered job as a lawyer or a banker; the secret is to do what makes you happy. Ok so maybe one of these jobs makes you happy, now what? Ever heard the expression, “married to a job”.  We talk about people being married to their job when a person spends most of their waking hours at work, or working. I am not here to judge someone who finds happiness in this way of life.  Just to elaborate on the personal crisis I am currently going through in my post Spain transition.

The USA is one of the richest countries in the world, but is it one of the happiest?

We’ve all heard money can’t buy happiness, right? So why is wealth such a focus in this country? I recently read an article, maybe it was in the Huffington Post, but it was nonetheless accurate, titled “16 Ways Europeans Are Just Better At Life.” Some of the ways were meant to lighten the mood. For example, the comparison between European cheeses such as Gruyere and Parmesan and “the yellow, nondescript foodstuff” we call American cheese. Another lighthearted difference was the “sexy accent” Penelope Cruz has when she speaks English compared to the horrendous accent Mayor Bloomberg has when speaking Spanish.

Others were a little more serious. For example: health care. According to a Bloomberg study, the US ranked number 46 out of 48 countries surveyed for efficient health care systems. So we are the richest, therefore happiest country in the world and there are 45 nations that have better health care than we do? Ok, since I don’t want to make this blog political (I don’t really know enough to be shelling out my opinion publicly), I will move on to the life expectancy comparison (which may be slightly related to the health care issue). But that aside, a 2011 World Health Organization Study showed that 24 European nations have a higher life expectancy than America, which ranked number 33, “just one spot ahead of Cuba.” So if this is the most successful country in the world (or at least one of them), the land of the free and the home of the brave, why can’t we up our life expectancy?

Ok, still slightly political, but let’s talk about vacation time. Other than teachers, who gets a full month off for summer vacation? Oh, that’s right, Europeans. “By law, every country in the European Union has at least four work weeks of paid vacation.” (USA Today) And what is the law for Americans. Oh yeah, there isn’t “a single legally required paid vacation day or holiday.” Now that’s just not fair, is it?

If you want to read the article, you can see it here. My point in all this is to consider, that different isn’t always bad. Success doesn’t always mean rich. And there is no better or worse when it comes to a way of life. I do however believe that many people are so caught up in their own way of life that they don’t even stop to consider doing something different, out of the ordinary, stepping out of their comfort zones.

I have been fortunate enough to have an experience in my life that brought me way out of my comfort zone and introduced me to an entirely new way of thinking. Unfortunately, that experience has now become somewhat of a curse. I cannot handle the 9-5 lifestyle: waking up at 5 am to go to the gym before work, eating lunch at my desk or breakfast on my walk to work. I have only been working for about two months now so sure it takes some getting used to. But I feel like my life right now is just work (and commuting to work). There isn’t much time in the day to do other things I enjoy. Is this just the definition of adulthood?

Tell me what you think…do you have any advice or opinions for me? Criticisms also welcome.