“What are you talking about?” I hear you say “Your Erasmus ended over 1 year ago!”, “Get a grip” etc. Well yes, that is indeed true, my Erasmus exchange did end back in June last year but that doesn’t mean that my connections with Spain are at an end… not by a long shot.
Four Months ago, I moved back to Murcia, just over a year after my Erasmus ended. I returned with the intention to work as an English teacher and to be reunited with my girlfriend after 10 months of being in a long distance relationship. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, the process of moving from the UK to Spain to put it mildly didn’t make it easy. But in the end, I made it and here is what I have been up to for the last few months. Enjoy!
Why the move?
The casual reader might assume that I’m only out here for the good weather or perhaps to chase Erasmus nostalgia. Maybe there’s a grain of truth with that observation but for me the reasoning for moving back onto the continent was a lot more complex. The main reason was of course because during my Erasmus I fell in love with not only the city of Murcia but somebody. As I still had one year of university left after finishing my year abroad so I had to head back to Manchester. 10 months later… with a completed degree I was free to return to the land of tapas, flamenco and oversized light switches.
On top of this, moving overseas again has a strong meaning for myself as a form of personal development and being able to prove that I can be self-dependent and be taken more seriously by the people around me. The latter of which is definitely still a work in progress. There’s a massive contrast between working in Murcia now and studying here 2 years ago. I have exchanged dancing on the tables of Sala Revólver for working 5 days a week. It took a bit of time to adjust to such a change, especially after 4 years of being a student, but now I would say I’m a lot more used to it.
Without a doubt, moving back to Spain was one of the biggest decisions that I have made in my life so far and I am looking forward to see what 2021 has to bring.
A Plane and a Pandemic: Getting to Spain.
Flying to Spain with Covid-19 in the background was an unpleasant and stressful experience. The weeks leading up to my flight in August were nail-biting and slow due to concerns that the summer air bridges would close. 2 weeks before I was supposed fly out, my worst fears came true. The second wave in Europe had begun and many airlines, including mine, had begun to cancel their flights. Out of fear of missing my chance to return to Spain, I booked a next day flight and hastily packed my suitcase. It had been nearly 6 months since I had last seen my girlfriend and there was nothing that was going to compel me to wait any longer.
So after a few hours of sleep and a quick flight, I was back in Murcia 2 weeks earlier then I had originally intended. I still had to spend a week alone self isolating before I could do anything but it really felt good to be back.
Life in Spain.
As I mentioned before, living in Murcia to work and with Coronavirus to deal with is a lot different from my time here as an Erasmus student.
The first clear difference is that I am now working as a teacher. For British expats, teaching English as a foreign language is one of the most popular ways to make a living in Spain. It has been quite the challenge changing from student to teacher over the summer and despite it at times being a little stressful, working with people of all ages has been both a rewarding and an enjoyable experience. Whether I am a good teacher though is a question better suited to my students!
The social element of my life in this city has also changed significantly. Obviously, the Covid situation hasn’t helped things. The current measures and restrictions have made it difficult to travel to different areas within the region of Murcia and rules regarding cafes, bars and nightclubs have been pretty strict and have made it virtually impossible to socialise in these places. Prior to the Christmas break I managed to catch up with some of the old gang from my Erasmus days but like everybody else, my social life has reduced significantly. It’s crazy to think that when I was living here 2 years ago, the only times I was in my flat was to either eat or sleep, whereas today, I only really leave the flat to go to work or head to the shops.
So things, have definitely changed… but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t done anything while I’ve been back here!
In spite of the travel restrictions, I have been able to check out quite a few new places in the region of Murcia that I’m glad I got the chance to visit.
The first new place I managed to visit during the summer was called the Batería de los Castillitos. During the Franco-era it was a coastal defence installation overlooking the Mediterranean coast which included a number of artillery pieces and bunkers. The area has been open to the public since the 90s and its a fantastic spot to experience some spectacular views of Spain’s southern coast and if you’re a history buff and you like going to places that are a key part of a country’s history then this is a must see place for you. I would definitely pay a visit during summer from May to August in order to take advantage of the good weather and clear skies.
In addition, there’s no entry fee and it’s just around the corner from the bay of Mazarrón. So, after paying a visit to the Castillitos, head over for a spot of lunch in Mazarrón and spend the rest of the day at the beach. There you go! Now you have a day out planned courtesy of me… you’re welcome!
The city of Cartagena is also home to a number of attractions which I hadn’t visited before. One such place was the Sierra de la Muela natural park. This was a perfect place to spend an afternoon and escape from the city and away from the boredom of being stuck at home. There’s plenty of trails to follow and if you reach the peak of the mountain called La Muela, you can sometimes see the coast of Africa on very clear days apparently. Additionally, just like Los Castillitos there’s no entry fee so it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area!
In the coming months I also hope to be able to visit many more new places however with what’s going on in the world now, it’s difficult to say when that will be possible. However, on the bright side I have taken up a new hobby of cycling and so it should be even easier to visit new places and perhaps find some inspiration for more blog entries!
Despite being a fan of Spanish culture and enjoying my time on the continent, there’s definitely a lot of things that I miss from back home. It’s quite difficult to make a Sunday Roast over here and the concept of boiling a cup of tea using a microwave still makes my skin crawl. All jokes aside though, I do miss my family and friends back in the UK a lot and I wish I had the chance to spend more time with them before I moved out.
Despite this, I will never regret my decision to move back to Spain. Living out here has given me the opportunity to stand on my own two feet and be the architect of my own future and I am determined to make the most of my time here!
This is the first entry in my new series on living in the EU in the post-Brexit world or as a “Brexile” and I have the intention to release 2 more posts in the coming months:
- Top 5 Murcian recipies that you should try at home!
- A new entry on some new parts of the region that I have visited.
These are just rough ideas at the moment and they could possibly change.
So that’s all for this entry. I hope you enjoyed it, happy new year to you all!
The Goofy Guiri 