I have a fetish for being on time. I hate being late, I hate waiting for people, and I hate making people wait for me. In Spain, this makes me a freak of nature.I hear the phrases “no pasa nada” and “tranquila” on a daily basis. Both mean don’t worry, which is the Spanish attitude toward life in general.You stepped in dog crap? No pasa nada. The professor is 20 minutes late for class? Tranquila.Businesses and schools run on a time clock that accommodates this laid-back mentality. It’s virtually impossible to try to shop or run errands from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., almost all of the stores close and schools let out so that people can go home and enjoy a long leisurely lunch with their families.Even better than gorging on a gigantic meal in the middle of the afternoon is the built-in afternoon nap known as siesta. Many people don’t actually sleep during this time, but I head for my bed as soon as I polish off dessert. I haven’t gotten this much sleep since scheduled nap times in kindergarten.Sleeping is also paramount on Sundays. People spend the day walking around the city or relaxing. Other than restaurants and cafes, nothing is open.For me and most students, Sundays are for sleeping off the night before – the bars and discotecas are still packed at 5 or 6 in the morning since people don’t get around to going out until at least midnight. My Spanish mom isn’t even surprised when I sleep until siesta time on Sundays.Although socializing in bars and cafes is an important part of the culture, other forms of communication make Spain a less frantic society. There is only one telephone company, so even local calls are expensive.Internet access is also hard to come by, so if it’s hard to get ahold of someone, it’s no big deal.Usually if I don’t compulsively check my e-mail every day, I get more jittery than drinking five cups of coffee. Yet there’s something very freeing about not being tied down by technology.Sometimes I wonder how any businesses survive in Spain without the technology I’m accustomed to. Yet it seems that small family-owned businesses have a better chance of survival since they don’t have to compete with as many huge chain stores that can afford the cost of new technology.This makes the businesses that are here seem less cookie-cutter and have more personality, instead of having a Starbucks or McDonald’s on every corner.Except for bus schedules, deadlines are merely a suggestion here. My obsession with deadlines easily marks me as a stressed-out American. Arriving five minutes early is almost unheard of, even when I get to class on time, I’m usually there before my professors.The smallest aspects of life are covered by the “don’t worry” philosophy. For example, Valladolid is swarming with dogs. I can’t go a block without seeing people out walking their poochies.Yet when the little mutts crap all over, their owners rarely clean up after them. The many “don’t litter” signs posted all over the city seem rather ironic when the sidewalks and parks are covered in dog crap.Even though I sometimes long for a 24-hour Wal-Mart or a Perkins muffin at 3 a.m., the pace of life is a welcome change from my normally hectic schedule.Remnants of my life in the United States tend to stress me out from time to time, but they are easily forgotten come siesta time.With less focus on filling up every spare minute with productivity and worry, it’s much easier for people to relax and be themselves. The time that people do get to socialize with others is truly valuable instead of being squeezed in between classes, appointments or other responsibilities. Of course I still can’t let go of my planner, which I update daily. And my tendency to whip out my Spanish guidebook for planning tends to earn me the nickname “Tour Guide Barbie,” but I could get used to this lifestyle.No pasa nada.Amie Van Overmeer is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Rock Rapids. Her realnickname is “Trauma Barbie.”