It’s almost a year since I moved to Spain full-time! I can’t believe how fast it has gone. In fact, my neglect of my blog is an indication of how busy I have become. I was only thinking the other day how easily life can slip back into a "busy, busy, busy" routine – despite best attempts to get a healthy work, life balance.
I have recently taken a little time off with trips to the UK, South Africa and Ireland and that has afforded me a few moments, away from work and my new life, and reflect on the past year.
When one moves to a new country, it certainly creates new challenges and stresses, but the day-to-day grind is momentarily interrupted to give one a sense of how life can really be enjoyed – how to experince the "now". When I first came here I always had time just to enjoy the now – a moment of peace.
A year on, with work becoming ever more demanding, a more active social life and a daily routine, I can feel myself slipping back into old behaviours, like getting stressed about small things – the ticket machine not working in the carpark, or the traffic.
When I first came here, I used to walk along the beach in the early afternoon, and look for shells. I loved living so close to the sea and began to think how I lived without that view of the horizon. Now I am rushing to get to a meeting or trying to find time to pick up my dry cleaning! Days go by with me just glimpsing the ocean from the road or the terrace. Where did my daily walks go?
So since returning from holiday I have started to regain that balance again. Today I had lunch outside with the sun on my face, and this evening I stepped out onto the terrace and watched the sunset – little moments to feel alive, see some beauty and put day-to-day grind into perspective.
Another thing I recalled about when I first arrived was that I had no expectations, not feelings about materialistic things – I seemed releaved of all my unneccesary burdens,Yet now I’ve been here a year, I am beginning to recognise those familiar materialistic pressures amongst the foreigners and Spaniards alike here on the coast! I am starting to think I maybe need to upgrade my car – what’s happening!
I just keep remembering my feeling of freedom when I arrived a year ago – I never want to forget that feels!
Before I sign off, I wanted to post a pic of the snow of the Sierra de Las Nieves seen from the country house – taken about a week ago. All the moutains around here on the coast and inland have had quite a bit of snow off and on this year – looks stunning in the sunshine.
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