# Hindsight is a wonderful thing...



## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and look forward to viewing loads of useful stuff.

I am interested to know from those of you who have moved abroad, with the value of hindsight, what 3 things would you have done differently before you moved abroad? Also, how have you changed as a person since you moved and what 3 things would have helped you prepare for this?

Really appreciate any advice you guys can give.

Cheers
Pip


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2010)

Hi and welcome Pip to answer your questions, I moved here to be with the new man in my life back then. 

What 3 things would I have done differently before I moved... NOTHING I will never regret any of my time here with him no matter what the future holds now he is gone. 

Have I changed as a person since moving here? yes I think, I have slowed done, chilled out and learnt to love and be loved to again enjoy the simple things in life and appreciate life itself.

What 3 things would have helped me prepare, not sure I can give 3 but one is for certain, to have had a working knowledge of the language or being able to speak and understand Spanish to a high level. Now as I try to organise my life here I would have benefited from knowing more of the systems here. My late husband had lived here for more than 10 years so knew his way around the daily things you need, I know little or nothing about them but am learning fast ! if anything is fast in Spain.


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## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

ValL said:


> Hi and welcome Pip to answer your questions, I moved here to be with the new man in my life back then.
> 
> What 3 things would I have done differently before I moved... NOTHING I will never regret any of my time here with him no matter what the future holds now he is gone.
> 
> ...


This is useful, many thanks


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

I moved to Hong Kong a long time ago and then rather than go back to UK I moved to Spain. Each place had it's challenges,but the best advice that anyone can ever give you is treat the place where you are living as if it was your home. As Val says the other bit of advice is to learn the language. You'll find that even if you have a few phrases it goes a long way with the people.

Would I have changed anything? Maybe, but then I wouldn't have learned anything. Actually if I did change one thing, I would probably be in jail, because I sometimes regret not thumping 7 colours of crap out of my last boss.I just had to make do with telling him to shove his job where only his proctologist could find it

Willie


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## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

language again, everyone's saying so. Lol re the boss! Nice one.

Pip


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Frank Sinatra & Edith Piaf, did I win ? I prefer Julio Iglesias version of mi manera.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I wish I'd moved here sooner, when my children were younger, and times were easier

I wish I'd brought my winter clothes and heaters with me, I had no idea how cold the winters are here

I wish I'd realised that the pound was gonna drop against the euro and I'd have transferred more money sooner!

Jo xxx


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## Jazintosh (Mar 29, 2010)

This is a very interesting topic ,btw Pip are you living in La Alcaidesa, near Gibraltar?.Is a very nice place. 
As spanish i understand perfectly how some of you feel when you arrive Spain, you feel Lost in Traslation, not only the language issue ,i mean culturally and how we handle time and day by day routines.
I´m totally sincere here, i would like to expect for you all at the airport when you arrive and be your guide,explain all the tricks and how to do things rigth , show where are the best tapa´s bars .... but this is an Utopia , so i come this forum because i wanna help.

Watch out! , in Spain , language is not only the words ,its the tone, the corporal language, words and attitudes that can be rude in Uk , are consider here like a friendly expression , if depends the situations and people involved. Dont ask for a Cerveza calling the camarero "Hey you ****** dame una birra".
Open your eyes and ears and become like Captain Cook, see yourself like an explorer who wants to discover a new world.
That´s my advice, your WILL is your POWER.
Welcome to the forum.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Jazintosh said:


> This is a very interesting topic ,btw Pip are you living in La Alcaidesa, near Gibraltar?.Is a very nice place.
> As spanish i understand perfectly how some of you feel when you arrive Spain, you feel Lost in Traslation, not only the language issue ,i mean culturally and how we handle time and day by day routines.
> I´m totally sincere here, i would like to expect for you all at the airport when you arrive and be your guide,explain all the tricks and how to do things rigth , show where are the best tapa´s bars .... but this is an Utopia , so i come this forum because i wanna help.
> 
> ...


That is very true. I know we must learn the language, but there are so many other ways of communicating, smiles and friendly gestures go a long way. They may not help you to have a conversation, but so far, I've always found that Spanish people respond when I say that I'm trying to learn spanish but "estoy muy stupida" and smile, they usually try and help me and it nearly always ends with a laughter - and me saying something silly . But its the gestures and my attempts that seem to help. I've a few Spanish friends who I'm sure think I'm crazy, but I get on well with them

jo xxx


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

Jazintosh said:


> This is a very interesting topic ,btw Pip are you living in La Alcaidesa, near Gibraltar?.Is a very nice place.
> As spanish i understand perfectly how some of you feel when you arrive Spain, you feel Lost in Traslation, not only the language issue ,i mean culturally and how we handle time and day by day routines.
> I´m totally sincere here, i would like to expect for you all at the airport when you arrive and be your guide,explain all the tricks and how to do things rigth , show where are the best tapa´s bars .... but this is an Utopia , so i come this forum because i wanna help.
> 
> ...


and what did Australians call Australia before cpt. cook arrived?...... ermm i think it was "ours"


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## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

jojo said:


> I wish I'd moved here sooner, when my children were younger, and times were easier
> 
> I wish I'd brought my winter clothes and heaters with me, I had no idea how cold the winters are here
> 
> ...


Love the first one, shiver at the thought of the second and interesting re the third if the pound picks up

Cheers
Pip


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## Rolling Stone (Mar 29, 2010)

Pip84 said:


> Hi all, I'm new to the forum and look forward to viewing loads of useful stuff.
> 
> I am interested to know from those of you who have moved abroad, with the value of hindsight, what 3 things would you have done differently before you moved abroad? Also, how have you changed as a person since you moved and what 3 things would have helped you prepare for this?
> 
> ...


Right next door to you in Soto Pip! 
I would have picked a much smaller house, not moved into an expat "bubble" community, and I would have made different choices in the things I shipped over vs stored back home.
How have I changed....much more relaxed. Better family life as I am not working all of the time as the Spanish work schedule allows me much more time with the wife and kids. I value every day here and tend to make the most of it because I never know when I may be needed in another part of the world and this could all end due to a transfer. I guess this translates into more spontaneity because back home it was easy to say "we'll do it sometime", and sometime never comes, but here we just do it because we may never have the chance again. We experience a lot due to this mentality.


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## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

Rolling Stone said:


> Right next door to you in Soto Pip!
> I would have picked a much smaller house, not moved into an expat "bubble" community, and I would have made different choices in the things I shipped over vs stored back home.
> How have I changed....much more relaxed. Better family life as I am not working all of the time as the Spanish work schedule allows me much more time with the wife and kids. I value every day here and tend to make the most of it because I never know when I may be needed in another part of the world and this could all end due to a transfer. I guess this translates into more spontaneity because back home it was easy to say "we'll do it sometime", and sometime never comes, but here we just do it because we may never have the chance again. We experience a lot due to this mentality.


Thanks, a good mentality to have anywhere I guess.


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

I would have bought a smaller house!!


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## Irishgirl (Sep 26, 2008)

hi there,
I thought by listening to a BBC CD on how to learn Spanish I would be just fine!!! How wrong was I!!! Here a year and a half and just about getting there with the language!! Still crap at it but i can get by!!
I thought it would be easier than Ireland to get work!! It wasnt, 10 months waiting for work and now my OH works away all week. But luckily he gets home every weekend.

Realised that the winters are freezing here but its great to know the summer will happen!!!

But on a positive note, im so glad we moved here, and hopefully I will get to live here for a long time to come! The dream is still unfolding!!


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## Pip84 (Apr 1, 2010)

many thanks, I'll get the Michell Thomas CD's out!


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