Posted by: XinYe 1 month ago

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Barcelona: the ideal place to start a new journey in life

1. Opportunities to arrive in Barcelona for the first time and visa status

As an "island girl" who only spends summers all year round, I decided to stay in Barcelona for the winter and even moved quite a bit. I got a digital nomad visa, which is a residency visa. Very convenient. It is valid for one to three years. If you want to stay longer, you can renew after expiration. It seems like you can stay for four or two years within five years. Within a few months, you can get your Spanish permanent residence visa, and I DIYed the entire process. If you want to refer to it, you can check it out in the comment area.

2. First impressions of Barcelona: weather and choice of accommodation

On the first day after arriving in Barcelona, ​​it rained lightly, the weather was extremely cold, and there were floods in Valencia. I even thought about turning off my phone and restarting it and moving to another European country. However, my friends in Barcelona persuaded me to stay, and despite my misgivings, I waited patiently. The sun was shining brightly the next day, and I began to re-examine the city.

3. First impression of Barcelona: It feels great to make old friends

The advantage of traveling everywhere is that you can meet many friends. As soon as I arrived in Barcelona, ​​I contacted two friends I had met in Bali before, one was Spanish and the other was Ukrainian. What really made me decide to stay was when I was passing by a park and suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu (DEJAVU). As my friend said before, having this feeling means that life is on the right track, so I immediately decided to stay. Looking for a house.

4. First impressions of Barcelona’s security situation

1. Actual experience : Before coming here, I heard an old man in Barcelona say that this place is dangerous and specifically told me not to go to a certain area, but I wandered there blindly and found a coffee shop that I liked. In fact, this is just a tourist. There are many old houses and small shops in the area. The most dangerous thing is losing something. As long as you have a basic sense of prevention and take care of your cell phone and bag, there will be no major problems. Just don't hold your phone while walking or riding the subway. The video I recorded today was a demo of a bug, but I made sure there was no one around me. Folks, it should be quite safe to enter the Sagrada Familia. If a thief comes in, he has to buy a ticket. 2. Anti-theft strategy : Carry a small bag when going out and wear a jacket outside. Today I'm still carrying a big backpack, which can't hold anything important. When in a cafe or restaurant, I hold my bag in front of me instead of hanging it on a stool. Place it on or next to your bag. I have an American friend who lost his luggage like this.

5. Other impressions of life in Barcelona

1. Mobile phone related : I changed to iPhone 16 in Bangkok because it is cheaper than in Europe and tax refund is available. The Thai version of iPhone supports ESIM (virtual calling card), which is very convenient to use abroad. Cannot be used with Chinese iPhones. , but I ran into trouble when trying to get a tax refund in Thailand. Items over a certain amount must be stamped before passing through customs for tax refund. I just forgot because I had to catch a flight, but please pay attention.
2. City size and travel : Although Barcelona is one of the largest cities in Spain, it is small. Many places can be reached in 20 to 30 minutes by bus and subway. Compared with big cities in China and Bali, it is much more convenient to go out. Great for city walks. The sidewalks are wide and walking is easy. You can also buy a monthly bus pass for unlimited rides on the subway and buses. I also plan to buy a second-hand bicycle in the future.
3. Nightlife : Barcelona has a very rich nightlife. Everyone started drinking at 12 o'clock and went out to dance at 2 o'clock in the morning. But due to the time difference, I feel sleepy from 1pm to 9pm. I only go out drinking once a week. After drinking, I didn’t go home until 12 o’clock. However, the subway here runs until 12 am on weekdays, extends to 2 am on Fridays, and operates 24 hours a day on Saturdays. Very convenient for everyone to get together. I also plan to review underground techno clubs later. It's easy to make friends by going out dancing.
4. Pet situation : It feels like everyone in Barcelona has a dog. They are everywhere on buses and subways. Because walking dogs was one of the reasons for going out during the epidemic quarantine, many people bought dogs at that time. Adopt a dog.
5. Cultural Tolerance : Europe as a whole is pretty gay-friendly, but in Barcelona you see more gay couples holding hands and kissing on the street. After all, in southern Europe, public displays of affection are quite common, and everyone here speaks this language called Catalan (COTLAND), which is very different from Spanish, just like Mandarin and Cantonese, and more no the same.

6. Follow-up plans and interactive invitations

Next, I plan to learn more Spanish. I recommend everyone to use Duolingo or bubble (both for dating and practicing speaking) to make more friends. Many communities have been recommended to me by friends who have lived there before. In the next issue, I will publish more practical guides, such as how to settle in Barcelona, ​​eat, travel, transportation, shopping, house hunting, the cost of living as a digital nomad, etc. I think I was very lucky when I was house hunting. It only took me three days to find a lovely monthly rental. Finally, let me give you an advertisement. If you need reviews of coworking hot pot restaurants and Chinese restaurants in Barcelona, ​​please contact me. If you are interested in Spanish residence visa, remote work, online entrepreneurship and other topics, please feel free to recommend it in the message area. Looking forward to seeing you next time.

I hope everyone can feel the unique charm of Barcelona after reading my sharing. If you have any resonance or questions, please comment and share. Let’s talk about this wonderful city.

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