Back again
AndalucÃa, 9th of February
I've now been back in Spain for a month after spending a couple of months travelling around visiting
mis amigos y mi familia, my friends and family. It was great to be with mi hijo y mi nuera, my son and daughter-in-law, and to meet mi nieto
precioso, my lovely grandson, for the first time. Closing down the flat in Bristol and saying goodbye to the
city and to friends for a second time in less than two years was more difficult but I hope to be a regular visitor
during the coming year.
Time to think until autumn
This is not the best time to make a decision about my future life in Spain. El
tiempo, the weather, is cold and las noches, the evenings, long but it does still
feel like home for now. I'm determined not to rush into making any decision that I might regret later so I'm planning to
stay here hasta el otoño, until autumn, at least.
Time with friends
I don't have much choice since various friends have booked themselves in for holidays at intervals over
the next six months or so! I'm really looking forward to having people to stay so that I'll have company and a chance to
show off la ampliación nueva y la piscina, the new extension and the pool, both of
which are now finished in spite of the usual building teething problems and the ³¾²¹Ã±²¹²Ô²¹ attitude to fixing them!
Work and play
Friends
here have been wonderfully supportive and I spend plenty of time lunching, walking, shopping and whiling the time away
over cups of coffee. When I get homesick for Bristol I have to remind myself that if I were there I wouldn't have this
kind of daytime social life as all my friends would be at work. Speaking of which, I'd really like to get un empleo, a job, here in the village but haven't had much luck so far.
Finding a job
A job would give
some structure to my days and hopefully give me the chance to improve my Spanish. A job en la agencia
inmobiliaria, in an estate agent's office, seems the most likely option for me, however at present there are
an unbelievable twenty two agencies in town and competition is too fierce to allow them the luxury of employing new
staff. I'll keep trying as the tourist season hots up from half term onwards.
Final thoughts
It's much
too early to know what I want to do in the longer term, but for now this seems the best place to be. When you feel
miserable it might just as well be in beautiful surroundings. Shifting barrowloads de
gravilla, of gravel, and waxing las puertas nuevas, new doors, provides pretty
good therapy too!I'd just like to say thank you to the people who have bothered to send me such kind messages through
this website. I appreciate it very much.
¡Adiós a todos! Adios everyone!
Sent by: Sue
Comments
Hi Sue, I have been looking at sites on Spain and came accross your diary. It was sad but it was a lovely diary to read. Me and my wife would like to sell up and live in Spain. I am learning Spanish but finding it hard. We live in Somerset on the Mendip Hill, which is cold, wet and foggy. All the best in what ever you end up doing. From Dave and Pauline.
I think you are very brave to stay. I live in Mallorca and consider this to be home now and if I was left on my own would not go back to the UK as everything I have is here now. My job, my friends. Even my family is only two hours away (in Bristol) and I see loads of them. Stick with it Sue, it is a lovely life and far less lonely than the UK.
Dear Sue, you are so brave and I applaud your decision to stay in Spain. We followed your entries with great interest, as we too were hoping to move to Spain; sadly because we have been unable to sell our house here in the UK, we haven't yet made the move - but hopefully soon we will be able to start the building of our villa in the Costa Blanca. Take care, time is a great healer and what better place to heal than in the place you've chosen together.
Hello Sue, I too found your entries by accident, and have really enjoyed reading them. Good luck for the future, I hope everything works well for you in the future.
Sue, I too discovered your diary by accident and found it both fascinating and moving. Best wishes to you and I hope you find a long and happy life in Spain.
Hello Sue, I came across your diary by accident. My very best to you. My husband and I hope to move to Spain soon. God bless and be happy.
Sue, thank you for your diary. I felt I was in Spain. My friend John lives in San Miguel de Salinas on the Costa Blanca and he lost his wife a couple of years ago but decided to stay in Spain. He said he would miss Spain too much after having lived there for several years. He has met a lady from the UK and they are now an item and planning to get married. They both have residencia now, but as they are retired they have full access to the Spanish health system. I reckon you are doing the right thing in not rushing a decision because you would find it very difficult to return to your old life in Bristol (which is where I live). All the best.
It is Oct. 9, 2006 - and I wonder where you are now. I stumbled on your diary looking for Internet Spanish lessons - I live in Texas but spent six months in Venezuela and was curious about your experience with learning Spanish. English is my second language -- and I do not remember it being as difficult as Spanish. Thank you for sharing with us your experiences in Spain. I lived for two years in Bristol (87-89) and my nieces work in Majorca. I am stunned by the ending and admire your strength. Wishing you all the best. Janina Rafalska
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