Growing up

In the States, growing up means:
– 16, a driver’s license
– 18, cigarettes and casinos
– 21, drinking and bars

The biggest deal of all those is turning 21, because you can finally drink and get into bars. Getting a driver’s license is no big deal. Being able to smoke is a little bit, because (theoretically) you get IDed whenever you buy cigarettes so you can’t buy them under 18.

In Spain, growing up means:
– 18, drinking and smoking and driving

However, driving is the biggest deal. It costs a lot of money to get your license, because “autoescuela” can cost over 1,000 euros, so it’s a big deal if you have your carnet. Drinking you can really do as young as 15 or so – only once in the whole time I’ve been here have I been IDed, and when we told the waitress we didn’t have IDs on us, she just said okay and gave us drinks anyway. And cigarettes? You can buy them from vending machines in lots of bars and cafes. Gambling is about the same – there are slot machines in lots of cafes that you can just walk up to and play.

That said, I’m turning 21 in 3 weeks, and it’s not really a big deal. =)

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