Just moved to Barcelona

Hi mariposabelle,

Welcome to Expat.com!

First of all, welcome and congratulations on making such a move. To few americans actually do it, so, great job! Don't know if you've ever lived in another country before but be patient with yourself…. Give yourself at least 2-5 years to fully adjust to actually living abroad. Having lived abroad a few times myself, not to mention the other people I've met along the way, who have done the same thing, it's a process.
Every single time it's the same with me. First I love it, then hate it, then in the end realize that it has as many pros and cons as any where else. LOL
You may already know this.
I was a"vegan" athlete for over ten years myself and your hear at a very good time because now there is a nice community of "conscious eaters" , as well as "alternative" practices such as yoga, reki, tai chi, etc… Trust me, 10 years ago it was nothing like it is now. lol

Regarding the Catalan deal: Since your boyfriend is catalan, I'm sure him and his family would much rather prefer for your focus to be learning catalan rather than castellano…especially if you already speak castellano 70%....unless they're 1st or 2nd generation catalans. They usually tend to speak castellano at home.
However, I've heard it all from, "it's essential!!" to "Forget about catalan and learn castellano!"
Everyone has there own opinion and mine is, that it really only depends on what your own personal world is like. Work / career / social / studies … each area may require a different language. No matter how many people try to tell you just what the answer is, there is no answer. e.g. Sometimes I need castellano, sometimes I need catalan and sometimes neither.
You'll find out how it is for you the more time you spend here.

Might be best to just get married if you plan to stay here. You'll find that the whole "papers" thing is a bit more complex for us "n. americans" unless you already have legal status. Start now if you can as the process take years and few people  tend to be enthusiastic about helping. At least they were with me…. Hopefully you'll have a much better experience. LOL

I have a puppy myself and as soon as he's a bit older, I'd love to have him meet yours. (he'll need to learn proper dog etiquette) lol
I'm also a musician like you but I do more music production now. Let me know if you're interested in knowing anything about the music scene here.

One

Thank you so much for your response - I would love to meet up - we have a lot in common! I definitely need advice about music related things.
This may be funny - but there are quite a few things I cant figure out - like -
1. Where can I get adaptor plugs - us to europe?
2. What websites do people go to to find used furniture - other than Loquo. in the US everyone was on craigslist. Is Loquo my only option?!
3. Whats the best way/website to find a music/art studio space?
4. Also - in the US we import everything from europe - so how come I am having such a hard time finding all these imported things here!! Can I order things online? How do I have things shipped from other parts of Europe?
Thanks!!!

LOL!!!
You're very welcome. Glad something I said helped. :-)
Great questions..... answers coming soon!
One

Hey there,

1- Transformers can be challenging to come by.
Corte Ingles has them at ok prices.
Most other electronic shops should have them. NOT the "cutre" ones with all of the phones, sony TVs and such. The "real" electronic shops with bulbs, wires and cables.

2- Sites
Here are some other sites that can be useful:
www.anuncio.net/www.segundomano.es/www.mundoanuncio.comhttp://ciudadbarcelona.campusanuncios.com/

3 - Artistic Space:
There are spaces but somewhat enigmatic to come by for some reason. I found a few cheap (un (unlicensed) residential studios that would've been perfect. Just to far from where I lived. Also came by a few shared spaces. But that meant I had to work on my trust issues. lol And with the kind of equipment I have, I wasn't taking any chances. ;-)
In the end, I simply just rented a large enough flat that had enough space to allocate towards a music studio.

I can only suggest the same sites to continue your search.

4 - Imports
Amazon works fine. I've ordered several things from them and they are just as reliable as they are back home. There's an Amazon spain and U.K. The U.K. site is much better, however, if you want to return a purchase, the cost to send it back can be very high. On the other hand, the prices on the Spanish Amazon seem to be a bit more expensive. If you research it, you'll find out the best option.
- As far as what you can't find here that you found in the states.... I have no idea.
What exactly?????

I hope this helps and Bona Sort!!


Personally, I've still found loquo to be the most reliable although there are some scams on there.

Hey i'm selling some stuff as i am moving back to the uk.  drop me a line if you are interested Denise

hi i'm new too and i'll be here for three months i don't kow any one and i'm kind of lost. would love to enjoy the stay here.

Hello melissa21!

Welcome to Expat.com

Armand

Hi!

I'm Marta.

I'm looking for some new people here in Barcelona  and I think we have many things in common. I also love music (i sing in a gospel group) and i started to play the piano again.

I work as a fashion designer so I'm very into design (obviously), photography, languages.. and art in general.

Contact me if you are interested!

Hi Marta!

Welcome on board

Armand