It’s interesting how even three years since our return, the lessons keep coming, less frequently but still prevalent. I remember while living in Spain how moved I was by the community’s commitment to celebrating and ritualising important cultural events like Saints’ days, national days, Easter and the annual ‘feria’ among many, many other festivals. I … More What I have learnt from living in Spain
cul·ture shock noun the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. It’s 1am on a regular Wednesday in June in Granada. The neighbourhood dogs are barking in the usual incessant cacophony, the bars are bursting with people and the rooftop parties … More Culture Shocks and Wonderful Surprises
A Gap Year for All! Given our geographic distance from the rest of the world, Australians have become accustomed to the concept of a Gap Year – young people taking a year, sometimes more, to explore the world beyond Australia’s shores- however a generational shift is taking place, ushering in a new demographic of gap year enthusiasts. … More When travel means moving country
Although we had a magical year in Granada, I am keenly aware of the many other incredible places in Spain where we could have lived happily during our year away. Each place I looked at offered something special and different which made it hard to choose. Recently I have been talking to my Australian friend Danni … More Ibiza: not just a party island
There is nothing quite like a festival that you would usually celebrate with extended family to remind you that you are far from home. So what happens when you suddenly bump into Christmas while on a sabbatical year? So you have settled into your new home in a new country, found your feet, your daily … More A Christmas far from home
While I don’t usually provide tips and advice, recently I have been asked several times for my top tips for moving to Spain, so today I have decided to share them with you…They range from getting clear about what is important to you and your family when choosing a location to live, organising your finances, learning … More Top 5 Tips for Moving to Spain for a Year
This was the mantra retold to me by my Granadino friends while we were living in Granada. “You’ll see” they followed in response to my quizzical look. As I contemplated the Herculean effort to transport our family of four across the oceans and continents from Australia to Spain, I wasn’t so convinced that we would be … More “Everyone returns to Granada…”
Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country. Anais Nin The desire to create a meaningful, cultural experience for our family inspired us to make a seemingly unusual plan: to pull up our roots … More Living your dream and inspiring others
It sounded like a grand and impossible idea: moving to Spain for a year. Strangely and luckily, it wasn’t as hard as we imagined it would be, and since pulling off our great dream, we’ve become evangelical in our enthusiasm to help others take the leap and live their own Spanish adventure. I have learned … More So you want to live in Spain! What next?
It was late on Friday night when we arrived at our apartment in the medieval Tuscan town of Lucca after a full day of travel. My son asked: “How come every place we visit, there’s a big wall around it? We live inside the walls of the Albaicin in Granada and every city we’ve stayed … More Living within the walls of history
Our Year In Spain 