“Happy” 10th anniversary in England… might as well move to Spain then

On By NoémiIn #ThoughtsThursday

 Sooo… yepp, here we go again… Oh crap, wait, how was it? Ah…

Jó reggelt, szevasztok …

There we go! … still got it!
Sooo, it’s been a while – it’s been roughly … give or take, well… more or less, kind of… like 4 years since the last post, and the last life update.
It’s been forever, I know and I’m sorry. I need to tell you tho’ that if not every day but every week this blog did cross my mind a few times. This love / hate relationship with it, this I want to / but I don’t, this… THIS is what I love to do / it’s not worth it, this… I love writing / I’m burnt out… I feel happy with my life with what I have / I’m depressed.
… and I was depressed, honestly, big time. That covid situation hit me in the head so badly. I don’t know if it’s just me but it was tough for me to get back on track. I lost my job that I liked, then had to start something new and work from home, fully online through emails, zero social contact – not even a goddamned phone call. (which my introverted ass loved so much at the beginning). What a life we had back then, no? Looking back on it it’s so crazy – or… again, is it just me? – I hope not 😳

I got so isolated. As I said, I’m introverted so if no one talks to me for 3 weeks it’s the best 3 weeks of my life. But back then, all of it, it just got too much… Too much as in I didn’t want to leave the house – even after we were finally able to – I didn’t want to meet friends or anyone, I started to hate crowded places and well… people in general – because silence and a dark room were my new best friends.

… but somewhere deep inside, I was still longing for some change for all these years… This thought, this little bug in my mind, and all the daydreaming were there probably since my very first trip to Spain… but change is scary… if you have a comfortable job with a comfortable amount of money and a comfortable house – why would you leave, right?

I remember my sister – who lives in Miami – told me once “just because I live here it doesn’t mean that I’m just chilling on the beach all day… But the fact that if I wanted to go to the beach right now, I could actually do it… That right there, that makes a difference.” – and this thought just stuck with me ever since.

In 2023 we came to the conclusion that we are not exactly happy – duh… – and probably … most likely … maybe… because of England. I would like to apologize in advance to my British readers, and people who are not affected by the weather at all. I know a British guy who told me that he hates the warm weather, he wouldn’t consider moving away, going on a holiday abroad, and he especially loves to take a walk in the rain – fair enough, but it’s a no from me – as Simon Cowell would say.
Last year, I think, we experienced the most disgusting winter of all the past 10 years in Manchester. Constant rain, wind, and darkness. And even if there was a moment of sunshine and you woke up with a bit of a good mood and maybe even plans for the day … By the time you finish your coffee, it’s pouring rain again. I wasn’t able to adapt to the weather and oh how I tried. Maybe to some people, it sounds ridiculous but to me, it’s very depressing. I always knew one thing, that I don’t want to grow old in England.

And lately, I just started to feel like there’s no more joy, excitement, positivity, motivation, and life in me that Manchester can suck out.

@kaya_el

London life… #london #croydon #blackandgrey

♬ original sound – eduardo

Couldn’t say it better myself.

Travel heals, the sun heals, and the sea heals – and I really mean it when I say this – and I hope some of you understand me. Through these years I got the most comfort from Spain. It was my safety net. I always loved to go there, usually spending a week or two and it healed me, repeatedly. I felt recharged and ready to get back to reality…. but sadly the depression was also hitting when I landed back home in Manchester… Sooner and sooner lately, and I started to feel like no travel is enough to make me feel better.

…And just like that here comes 2024

My 10th year in Manchester btw… – and on January the 1st we had the so-called lightbulb moment 💡

* Drumroll *

… let’s move to Spain.

In Spain life just hits differently – call me delulu, or tell me I’m romanticizing it waaaay too much, it’s okay – or you know what, just move to Manchester and tell me how you feel in 10 years.
The quality of life can’t be compared – to me, at least – to life in England.
In Spain, you want to go out to the street, just for a walk. You want to sit down for that cafecito or tinto de verano after work. You want to get together with people and share a few tapas…. Or just quietly sit down in a park with your book, or listen to the waves at the beach.
People are so nice, they are waving hello from the other side of the street, saying “hola” with a big smile on their faces.
In England? You cross to the other side of the road instead of talking to someone you know. No eye contact, no nothing… everyone rushing and just looking down at the pavement. And if you accidentally bump into someone instead of a smile and a perdón, you get the angry stares, the mumbling and you feel like you gonna get a knife in your back if you don’t behave.
I started to notice things changing in me too. When I was out on the street with my partner he told me: “You saw that?” …. No, I didn’t even look up.
Meanwhile in Spain, the cutest little abuelita is holding the front door for us, so we can move our boxes more easily… She’s smiling, taking her time with us, and welcoming us into the building… Because I have some good news finally…

…we moved to Barcelona in March.

And …
Today is the 1st of June, I’m sitting here out in the sun on my little balcony, just about to go for a walk on the beach maybe even have some croquetas. I did this very simple thing way more in the past 3 months than I managed to do anything similar during a whole year in England.

So … I think we made the right decision.

More about this later, I promise, but for now…

… Jó éjszakát, szevasztok!

________________________

Ps.: if you enjoyed this post let me know by hitting the ★Like button, and sharing the love on your socials!
… Aaand if you want to hang out with me between uploads then follow me on Instagram for daily and more personal updates!

Discover more from The World Through My Glasses

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

50 thoughts on ““Happy” 10th anniversary in England… might as well move to Spain then”

  4. Enjoy! There are a lot of differences even between the US and England. I went to a British pub in the US and struck up a conversation with some British guys visiting the states. One of them was perplexed by that and I would say even a bit offended. I’ve traveled to England a lot. I know people don’t start conversations with strangers in a pub setting etc. Here it’s routine to ask people where they are from and engage in a lot of small talk. People do seem more polite in England than the states. They don’t let the world stop if there is rainy weather. Here most huddle inside if it’s rainy. I spent 6 weeks one summer in England and it rained all but 4 days. I learned from the locals to plug on. Enjoy your time in Spain. Get out and experience their life.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. More polite in the UK, really? 🫣 I don’t knooow…. 😉 And the weather is a tricky one… Some people are not affected by it, or just got used to it, or they face it as “it is what it is” … But the environment has a huge affect on me, personally

      Like

      Reply

  5. Hi Noémi. Hope life in Barcelona is shaping up nicely for you – and thanks for liking my accordion blog! (Not sure how we made contact in the first place but I appreciate the support…). Un abrazo desde Andalucía x

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. 😊 I guess it’s the magic of internet and blog searches hahaha. Sometimes a random topic pops up, and turns out to be pretty cool 😎 un abrazo desde Barcelona 🤗

      Like

      Reply

  9. I understand 100% what you’re saying when it comes to the weather! Here in South Africa we are spoiled by the amount of sun we get – the summer months are long and warm and the winter months are short (but feel endless, and yet the sun shines regularly during these 3 ‘cold’ months)! I definitely need sun on me and around me. Well done on the big move (Spain is definitely a good choice). Enjoy the change of scenery, the food … but especially the sun!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. thank you so much 🤗 I feel relief honestly, when someone tells me they know what I mean, because sometimes people looking at me like I’m crazy when I tell them the weather and the environment has a huge affect on me 🫣 but looks like I’m not alone 😊

      Like

      Reply

  11. Sitting in an English garden
    Waiting for the sun
    If the sun don’t come
    You get a tan from standing
    In the English rain ~ The Beatles

    I was in the UK last summer and found the people to be lovely, dunno, maybe we just hit it right. But props on chasing your dream…hope it’s all you dream it will be! 😎

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. Hi Noémi.

    I’m glad you enjoyed my blog. Now I am reading yours and guess what? It’s raining! Although we are spending the summer in the Netherlands not the UK but it sadly doesn’t feel much better this year. Can’t wait to get back to France.

    Well done on making the move. As English born and bred but having spent many years living in Wales I completely understand how much the weather can affect us. I also got very depressed. I have never been happier since we moved to France and hoped to spend the rest of my life here. Not sure what the future holds with election news this morning.

    I wish you the very best in your new life. Enjoy!

    MaryJane

    Like

    Reply

  13. Hi Noémi,Thanks for visiting my blog ☺️.Well done for taking the leap and embracing the unknown…in a sunny land! I definitely feel you, having the same experience myself (coming from a tropical country, lived 16 years in a wet-cold country, and finally now enjoying the sun in Spain). There’s no better feeling than sipping that cafecito under the blue sky filled with rays of sunshine…🌞

    Like

    Reply

  14. Hello Noemi. Thank you so much for liking my old post about Finisterre. I am happy you are in sunny Barcelona if this is the good spot for you. I am originally from Wales but have lived most of my life in Montreal in canada. The winters are certainly getting too much for me here and I have gone to Spain for several of the last winters. I did hospitalera volunteer work in an alberge in Ponferrada in April this year and loved it! Keep on writing and enjoying your sunny life!

    Like

    Reply

  15. Wishing you well in Barcelona! You 100% made the right choice in my eyes, I yearn for warmth & sunshine, not just for mental health but I feel my muscular skeletal problems would be more bearable in the Spanish sun. I’m currently learning Spanish to keep my dream alive! Keep us posted with life in Spain 🙂

    Like

    Reply
  16. Unknown's avatar Anonymous

    Manchester! That one of the bleakest places in England. Ten years of Manchester you deserve all the sun and flamenco you can find. There are many beautiful places in England, but Manchester is definitely not one of them. The world is a very big place, find your corner and enjoy!

    Like

    Reply

  20. Good for you! We have lived in a sunny, hot place for 40+ years and next year is our exodus to a cool, cloudy, but not far from the beach place where other aspects of life are easier and even in our 70’s we are very excited! We loved Spain and Barcelona btw. x

    Like

    Reply

  22. I am in Florida where I actually get tired of the baking sun. But I did live in New England where the winters are long, cold, bleak and often sunless, and lack of sun – too much rain – does affect me negatively. Spain sounds lovely! I hope you are very happy there.

    Like

    Reply

  23. Love my visits to England. I go about once a year usually on the way to other destinations. Brit, but forty years in Lima, Peru……if you get tired of Spain, bienvenido a Incalandia!!!!!!.

    Like

    Reply

  25. Spain is a beautiful country which we visited at the beginning of the year. We live about 30 miles north of Manchester and despite living there all of my life, would love to live somewhere a bit warmer and less rainy (or just somewhere a bit prettier).

    The trouble is, that you have roots which are almost impossible to dig-up. Eventually you just grow webbed feet and blink in bright light.

    Have a happy time in Spain.

    Peter

    Like

    Reply
  27. Unknown's avatar Anonymous

    I hope that all goes well in Spain. A host of factors affect a place but, as a UK citizen that has seen the UK plunge into a real mess, not just because of COVID and financial chaos, I fled to remain in Europe, though only to Ireland. The weather has been awful here too, hardly better than Manchester, but the country is lovely and the people friendly. There is also a feeling of hope that is now absent from the UK though I trust that a new government, looking towards Europe, if not rushing towards it, will improve things. Sorry to get slightly political.

    Like

    Reply
  28. Naomi Thompson's avatar Naomi Thompson

    I’m so jealous you moved to Barcelona! I just spent a few days there and LOVED it. Will definitely be coming back and wish I could live there, for a while at least!

    Like

    Reply
  30. Unknown's avatar Anonymous

    As a midlifer my hubbie and I have thought many times about moving abroad and although we have decided against it I still think that one day we will go somewhere on our travels and suddenly find that forever place we have been wishing for.

    Thank you for reading and liking my posts. Given the success of your blog I would love some feedback when you have time. I’ve been writing for a year now and would like to grow my audience.

    Best of luck with your new life. Barcelona was part of our three months travelling in Western Europe last year x

    Like

    Reply

  33. As you notice the uplift you feel escaping to Spain I as well feel the same in those seasonally satisfying journeys from Florida to Colorado. Admittedly, in my case it’s not just about the weather. You seem to suggest a similar complexity of motives.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to tanjabrittonwriter Cancel reply