# Culture Shock & New Horizons: A New Yorker in Spain #0062 Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/whereabouts-tales-stories-of-belonging-and-immigrant-experiences-7144981/culture-shock-new-horizons-a-new-yorker-in-spain-0062 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/whereabouts-tales-stories-of-belonging-and-immigrant-experiences-7144981/culture-shock-new-horizons-a-new-yorker-in-spain-0062.md Podcast: [Whereabouts Tales | Stories of Belonging and Immigrant Experiences](https://stenobird.com/podcast/whereabouts-tales-stories-of-belonging-and-immigrant-experiences-7144981) Published: 2026-04-22T11:30:00+00:00 Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paul-puscas/episodes/Culture-Shock--New-Horizons-A-New-Yorker-in-Spain-0062-e3i7ji2 Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/fe6afdfc/podcast/play/118787074/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-3-21%2F422510356-44100-2-1bce0f098d78.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/whereabouts-tales-stories-of-belonging-and-immigrant-experiences-7144981/episodes/culture-shock-new-horizons-a-new-yorker-in-spain-0062 Duration seconds: 5565 ## Resource In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rob Solves America, and I have to admit, it was one of those rare "cold start" conversations that resonated deeply and just flowed naturally from the get-go! I came into this chat knowing little beyond his name, but Rob’s incredible story immediately ignited my native curiosity. Rob takes us on a fascinating personal journey, tracing his roots from growing up in the bustling Bronx, New York City (01:46) – an experience he candidly describes as shaping his self-reliance and understanding of cultural enclaves (02:53) – to his current life in the vibrant city of Barcelona, Catalonia. His observation that New Yorkers are "kind but not nice" (04:19) struck me as particularly insightful. We delve into the catalysts behind his move, which went beyond the astronomical cost of living, including a pivotal work opportunity for his wife that led them to embrace Europe (09:08). His first impressions of Barcelona were nothing short of surreal (33:06), revealing unexpected cultural quirks – from where eggs are stored to the spontaneous local approach to making plans. I was utterly captivated by his newfound obsession with ancient architecture (35:05), seeing buildings with more history than the entire United States! We also explore the stark differences in healthcare systems, a topic I’m deeply passionate about, and Rob’s ongoing commitment as an expat to remain politically active back home (24:38). Rob powerfully articulates how living abroad has profoundly changed him (1:14:08), cultivating a deeper empathy for those learning new languages, a heightened appreciation for community, and a mindful approach to being a respectful guest. My personal key takeaways from our conversation include the immense value o… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/whereabouts-tales-stories-of-belonging-and-immigrant-experiences-7144981/episodes/culture-shock-new-horizons-a-new-yorker-in-spain-0062/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/whereabouts-tales-stories-of-belonging-and-immigrant-experiences-7144981/culture-shock-new-horizons-a-new-yorker-in-spain-0062.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.