About us

WhySoSpain.online was born in the summer of 2019 during a particularly intense conversation in a Barcelona café between Carmen, a Spanish cultural researcher, and James, a British expat who had been living in Spain for five years. They were discussing how frustrated they both felt with the oversimplified, often stereotypical representation of Spanish culture online.

Carmen had been documenting regional Spanish traditions for her doctoral thesis when she realized how much authentic Spanish culture was being lost in translation – literally and figuratively. James, meanwhile, had been writing detailed emails to friends and family back in the UK about his experiences living in Spain, and people kept telling him he should start a blog.

The “Why So Spain” name came from James’s British sense of humor – a play on the internet meme “Why so serious?” – but it perfectly captured their mission: Why is Spain so fascinating? Why so complex? Why so misunderstood? Why so wonderful?

They launched the blog in early 2020, just as the world was becoming more connected yet paradoxically more isolated. Their timing, while initially challenging due to the pandemic, actually helped them build a strong online community of Spain lovers, expats, language learners, and curious travelers who were hungry for authentic cultural content.

Mission: To bridge cultural gaps and share the authentic, multifaceted beauty of Spanish culture, cuisine, and daily life with the world.

Values: Authenticity over stereotypes, community over competition, cultural appreciation over appropriation, and the belief that food and stories are the best ways to connect people across cultures.