Maria’s Cultural Adventure

When Maria packed her bags and moved from sunny Spain to Germany for a new job, she was excited but also a bit nervous. She knew things would be different, but she didn’t realize just how many little surprises were waiting for her.

On her first day at the office, Maria greeted everyone with a big smile, a warm hug, and the usual double cheek kiss that’s super common in Spain. But to her surprise, her new German colleagues looked a bit taken aback. They responded with a polite handshake and a friendly, but more reserved, smile. Maria quickly figured out that in Germany, people are all about personal space, especially at work. It wasn’t that they didn’t like her; they just had their own way of being friendly.

As the days went by, Maria started noticing more differences. In Spain, arriving a few minutes late to a meeting is usually not a big deal—everyone’s pretty relaxed about time. But in Germany, being on time is super important. Her colleagues were always at their desks or in the meeting room exactly when they were supposed to be, and they expected the same from her. Maria soon realized that showing up on time was a big sign of respect.

One evening, her colleague Anna invited her over for dinner. Maria wanted to bring a gift and figured a bottle of wine would be perfect. But she wasn’t sure if that was the thing to do in Germany, so she asked Anna. Anna laughed and said, “Wine is great! Just make sure it’s a nice one!” Dinner turned out to be a lot of fun, and Maria felt like she was finally getting the hang of things.

Over time, Maria found herself blending her Spanish habits with her new German ones. She started to appreciate the punctuality and structure, while also sharing some of her own traditions, like taking a relaxed, longer lunch break and introducing her colleagues to tapas.

By the end of her first year in Germany, Maria realized that cultural differences are less about right or wrong and more about learning and sharing. She discovered that being open to new ways of doing things not only made her life richer but also helped her build great friendships with her colleagues. In the end, Maria’s cultural adventure turned out to be one of the best experiences of her life.