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Fluency in Spanish: The journey of a wannabe Spanish speaker
I had an amazing epiphany this morning: Spanish is getting easier! It seems so insignificant and yet… for someone who is trying to learn a new language the road to fluency can be tough. My first steps towards learning Spanish started in December 2017. I had been dating my then Mexican boyfriend for a few months and we were planning my trip to Monterrey a little while later to visit him and the family. There was only one problem. His parents spoke no English and my Spanish consisted of little more than “hola”, “gracias” and “sombrero!”. Ay dios mio! Since I’m a pretty social person and I’m not one for awkward silences,…
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Landing in Barcelona: Settling in and setting up the essentials
I’ve now been in Barcelona for a little less than four weeks. Technically I’ve only been here three weeks, as I flew back to Prague last week to pick up my kitty Nala. It’s been a pretty productive few weeks though, that’s for sure. It’s also taught me a lot about navigating situations I hadn’t really anticipated. Since it’s been a few years since I last moved, I had forgotten some of the little things that happen. Those little details and events that make a real difference to your experience. I’m still navigating some of the waters of getting settled, but there are some experiences I felt are worth sharing.…
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Thoughts on leaving friends behind when moving
My move to Barcelona is coming up shortly – only 3 weeks to go! As I empty my cupboards, and pack my boxes, it occurs to me just how fortunate I am. I’m moving to Barcelona! I have the opportunity to completely reboot my life again. To re-shape myself and my surroundings. To go explore what new experiences might be out there for the future. It’s a pretty exhilarating feeling at times. I’ve started to notice a shift in my natural energy levels too. I do feel tired a lot, which I think is a side-effect of moving stress combined with a lack of exercise for the last month. I…
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The day I quit my job to move to Spain
I finally did it – I handed in my resignation. I can’t overemphasise how momentous this decision has been for me! When I first joined my company 4.5 years ago I truly believed I would stay with them for 20+ years. I know that may seem crazy to some, but a company the size of mine has a lot to offer. Offices located around the world, resources to support extensive travel and training, a well recognised name… I figured it had everything I needed to continuously grow myself personally and professionally for many years to come. Life had other plans though. After many months of turmoil, caused by large-scale restructuring,…
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What to do when you have no idea what to do?
I really don’t remember too many times in my life when I’ve felt completely at a loss on what to do next. I’ve always been the woman with a plan. Earlier this year, however, I found myself in that unusual position. I had absolutely no idea of what I wanted to do next and found myself in something of a crisis. Whenever I tried to talk about this issue with my friends, they would say things like: Trust yourself! You know what you want to do. You don’t need to have life all figured out… just go with the flow. I in turn would respond with: How do I do…
