I'm an American who moved to Madrid. Here are 12 things that surprised me most.

After graduating college, I was ready for a change in my life. I packed a couple of bags and moved to Madrid, Spain, where I now live and work as an English teacher. 

In many ways, the Spanish city isn't so different from places in the US. But there are a few cultural differences that stand out. 

One of the first things I learned upon arriving in Madrid is that mealtime is an entirely different affair from what I was used to in America.

In Spain, coffee and food are not something to be enjoyed on the run. It's extremely rare for me to see people eating on the move or on the metro, and a good Spanish dinner lasts at least a few hours. 

In Madrid, a typical day of eating for me involves a small breakfast in the morning, a sandwich or pan con tomate (bread with tomato) around midday, a very large lunch around 2 or 3 p.m., a sweet snack at about 7 p.m., and a nighttime dinner. 

I knew that Madrileños ate late, but I failed to realize the entire schedule of the day also has to shift to accommodate a 10 p.m. dinner. It took my stomach a while to adjust, but I've come to appreciate the little meals throughout the day. 

In addition to eating late, Madrileños also enjoy a very laid-back restaurant culture.

In the US, servers tend to rely on tips, but in Spain, tipping isn't as common.

Taxes are also usually calculated into the prices of menu items, so there isn't an extra surprise charge when the check comes. 

Additionally, unlike my experience at US restaurants, waiters in Spain are pretty hands-off. When you're ready to pay for your meal, you usually have to call out, flag them down, or even head up to the register yourself.

Because of this, eating out in Madrid has been great practice for me to be more assertive in a second language.

I've noticed that ingredients in Madrid are generally very fresh, delicious, and affordable. Grocery stores usually have entire aisles dedicated to local wines, which go for as little as 2 euros, or about $2.11, a bottle.

An aisle over, you can probably find olives of just about any variety your heart desires. And in the Mercadona (a Spanish supermarket chain near my apartment) there's an entire deli stand dedicated to cured Spanish ham.

On the other hand, there are a few ingredients that have been particularly hard for me to find — mostly spices and condiments that I'm used to having access to in the US, like specific kinds of red-pepper flakes and hot sauces.

But I've learned to adjust my cooking to use ingredients that are readily available and delicious, like tomatoes, feta, and sweet potatoes.

I've noticed that shops in Malasaña, the neighborhood where I live, seem to draw inspiration from places in the US, particularly New York City. 

In addition to the thrift store around the corner from my apartment called Williamsburg (a neighborhood in Brooklyn), there's a spot named 212 Pizza (the NYC area code) and a bar called Madklyn (a combination of Madrid and Brooklyn).

There's also a burger joined called Milwaukee, like the city in Wisconsin. 

It's fun to see bits and pieces of American culture catch on across the world. 

I was floored by Madrid's public-transit system. On one of my first days in the city, I descended a few escalators to the Metro and could hardly believe my eyes.

The stations and trains are spacious, bright, and incredibly clean. 

To get around the city and the wider Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid), you have a variety of options. The Metro has 12 lines marked by numbers and colors and is a reliable option for traveling within the city center.

Public buses are also dependable and are often a faster choice if you need to go a little beyond the busier areas.

Madrid also has a set of high-speed trains called the Cercanías that travel through and beyond the city center. During commuting hours, they run just as regularly as any metro. 

The best part about Madrid's public transport, especially for young people, is that it's affordable. 

Anyone can apply for an abono de transporte (transportation pass), for which you pay a monthly fee for unlimited travel in selected city zones. 

If you're 26 or under and qualify for an abono joven (youth pass), you don't even have to worry about the zones. The pass grants unlimited access to all public transportation in the Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid), for only 20 euros a month plus 4 euros to issue the card.

Sometimes there are even promotional sales that bring the cost down further. 

Coming from the US, where I've found public transportation unreliable and scarce outside of the city centers, I'm still in awe of Madrid's system.

The only real shortcoming is that the Metro closes at 2 a.m., and the last train usually passes through any given station in the city center around 1:30 a.m. On a night out, that typically means walking, hailing a cab, or waiting for the Metro to reopen at 6 a.m.

Another perk of life in Madrid is having access to green spaces.

This is my first time living in a major city, and the abundance of trees and grassy areas eased my adjustment to an urban lifestyle. 

Madrid's centrally located Retiro Park is a large, public green space with a lake in the center. When I'm starting to feel a bit suffocated by city living, I often go there to take a jog or a stroll and breathe in the fresh air. 

Healthcare is certainly one of Spain's strengths, in my opinion. There are pharmacies on just about every block, where pharmacists can help customers find products (both over-the-counter and prescription) that meet their needs.

When I've had a cold, instead of waiting for a doctor's appointment, I could head to the nearest pharmacy and ask for some medicine. If your ailment is beyond the scope of their expertise, they might direct you to a clinic.

Pharmaceuticals tend to be quite affordable. I've found that birth-control pills, for example, are available over the counter for about 10 euros.

Some pharmacies are open 24 hours, but most welcome customers from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 

Being a queer person adds an extra dimension to travel — it's not safe to be openly gay everywhere. 

But I've felt welcomed by the queer scene in Madrid, and I'm actually much more comfortable expressing my sexuality than I was in the US.

Madrid's centrally located queer neighborhood, Chueca, is always bustling. In addition to amazing queer nightlife, it has a few queer bookstores, coffee shops, and novelty dessert spots like the famous La Pollería, which serves up penis-shaped waffles dipped in chocolate. 

Outside of Chueca, there are still plenty of great queer spots, and I've found it's common to see queer couples holding hands or kissing in public. 

No one warned me that machine-drying your clothes isn't standard in Europe. You can find dryers in laundromats, but an apartment with a dryer is pretty much unheard of.

My roommates and I hang our washed clothes on a drying rack inside our apartment or on a drying line connected to the inner courtyard of our building. 

In the long run, it saves energy and tends to make clothes last longer. But the lack of automation means the laundry process takes a bit more time and effort. 

Our apartment, like most others in the city, comes fully equipped with its own bidet next to our toilet.

I'm a huge fan of the device and use it often. But some of my other American friends have been a bit slower to catch on.

Though the value of the US dollar in relation to the euro changes often, in general, US dollars have gotten me a lot more in Madrid than they have stateside.

There are a couple of great shopping areas in Madrid, like Gran Vía and Calle Fuencarral, that cater mostly to tourists looking to stock up on clothing, accessories, and other high-quality goods. 

In my experience, the overall cost of living in Madrid is more reasonable than most major cities in the US. This has allowed me to enjoy all that the city has to offer without breaking my bank account.