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From a new life in spain, to an old life in britain, 'roaming brit' documents uncertain times!

On 31st January 2016, my partner and I left Southampton to start a new life as Expats in Gran Alacant, on the Costa Blanca. This blog will document our journey, as we navigate the Spanish system, travelling a path untried and untested. With Brexit looming, political turmoil in Europe, and an unpredictable future, harsh decisions must be made. Illness, family bonds, and a Change of heart all make for challenging times in the life of a 'Roaming Brit!'

More Goodbyes!

29/4/2018

More goodbyes over the weekend, after we met Lorraine and David at Rogers for a farewell drink or two. I'm going to miss these two terribly. They have both been a

great source of inspiration since I met them, while working at LoungeD. As with most people here, I will be keeping in touch. The reality is, I am going to miss many of those I have met over the last two and a half years. Gran Alacant is first and foremost a neighbourhood, mainly consisting of British Expats, yes, but it's more than that. The people who have moved and come here to change their lives, normally for the better, as I did all those months ago, are a part of a vibrant community, striving for a better life in the sun. Lorraine and David, have without question been a pleasure to speak with, always offering a word of advice and without a doubt, stimulating enjoyable company.

I also bumped into Gavin, the owner of Molly Malones, spending the rest of the evening putting the World to rights and sharing our experiences of GA. Gavin has been here a long time, about fourteen years in total and has always been on hand for a chat and a vodka or two. We both ended up at the Pub in Masa Square, rounding the night off perfectly.

There will inevitably be more farewells in the last three weeks we have left in Spain, as we continue to prepare for our arrival back home in the UK. I have said many goodbyes in recent times; all this emotion tends to take its toll. Once again in our life, we are walking into unchartered waters, the outcome of which, we have no idea...Story of our life!

Rab's World!

27/4/2018

"If you don't see something magic everyday, you aren't looking!"

My Life In Boxes!

26/4/2018

Three boxes. that's it, all we have left now everything else has been sold. given away or thrown in a skip. Not a lot to show for twenty three years together is it. In reality however, how much 'stuff' does one realistically need in this World.

Looking back to our days living in Southampton, the house in which we lived was crammed to the rafters with 'things,' none of which we really needed to survive, just an accumulation of items that cluttered up our lives. In many respects material possessions only ground us, preventing us from doing many things we would have otherwise done. Both of us are travellers at heart and can now see more of the places we wanted to visit, twenty or so years ago.

We arrive in the UK on 25 May; I am trying to organise seeing as many people as I can. On Friday 25th May, we will be going to my old local pub the 'Giddy Bridge;' I used to work just over the road from it and have many happy memories there. It's fitting to spend a few hours there, before moving on to Portsmouth to stay with my Aunty for a short while. If you are about on that day, do feel free to pop along, it will be good to see you!

I've got a tonne of rubbish to get to the bins, after a lifetime of collecting. In the early 2000s, I used to build computers and have boxes and boxes of wires and hard drives; all of these items have to be disposed of. To be honest I should have thrown them away before I came to Spain, but as a professional hoarder, preferred to take them with me.

Darrell has been sorting out the last of the clothes this afternoon, bagging up jackets and jeans to go to the charity shop; in four days by the end of the month everything should be complete and we can finally enjoy our last few weeks living in Spain, before we return to the UK.

Rab's World!

26/4/2018

"About the time you learn to make the most of your life, most of it is gone!"

Tuesday In GA!

24/4/2018

I've had an extremely busy few days; at the moment I am restructuring my blog, so I haven't had as much time to write as I would like. Leaving for the UK in a month is also a pressing priority. Rest assured however, I will be back intense blogging very soon. In the interim, I will continue to keep readers updated of course!

Rab's World!

23/4/2018

"It takes three seconds to say I love you, three hours to explain it and a lifetime to prove it!"

Saturday!

21/4/2018

Rab's World!

20/4/2018

"Exercise programme - Take one Weetabix; take an Aero chocolate bar and crumble over the Weetabix. Voila - Aerobix!! Woohoo!"

Another Stressful Few Days!

19/4/2018

It's been another stressful few days; if I am honest Darrell and I haven't stopped arguing; it's what happens when you move! Moving abroad again for the second time in a little over two years just makes the situation even worse. Both of us are feeling the strain, far more than we did, when we left the UK for Spain in 2016; this is a 'no going back' move. We wont be returning anytime soon; there is a sense of finality about all this; endings are not something I like or enjoy.

Paperwork

I have finally finished sorting bags and bags of paperwork; lots and lots of memories thrown in the bin; quite a sad day for me. I had letters dating back thirty or more years, from friends and family, documenting my life; now all gone. I think we have also chucked away our Wedding photo's by accident, extremely upsetting, but luckily we have copies on our PC.

Artwork

It's fantastic to see my treasured paintings situated in their new home in Torrevieja. I have had these many years and really wanted them to have a new lease of life. These pictures were the aspirations I never quite achieved; dreams yet to come!

Art has always played an important role in my life. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows just how many paintings I had hanging on my walls. Each item held an important memory for me, which made them that much harder to part with

La Piedra

Last night we took a couple hours out to have a few drinks and a meal out. After meeting two friends at Rogers in Masa Square, we took a quick trip up the hill to La Piedra. It felt good to relax, have a lovely meal and long chat with Paul, whose table we gatecrashed when we got there. I'm gonna miss this guy, along with Natalee of course, who works in this popular Gran Alacant restaurant!

moving mollie

The only item of any significance that is coming with me to my new home, is my painting of Mollie Sugden as Mrs Slocombe in the popular TV series 'Are You Being Served.' I've had her a long time and certainly have no desire to part with her. I just hope she reaches our new place in one piece!

Cat cupboard

With the cats now gone, it was time to clear out the cat cupboard. This old thing has been stuck in the corner of the kitchen for as long as I can remember, not only in Spain, but also in our home in the UK.

The old piece of furniture was given a makeover by Jamie, when we first moved to Gran Alacant two and a bit years ago and housed all of the cats stuff; brushes, food bowls, medication, collars and food.

Clearing it out was a little emotional, knowing we are not going to have another feline friend for a while, maybe never. At our time of life we really need to travel light, without the ties of having a pet!

We are nearly at the end of this grueling clearing out process and our house is looking rather bare. By the end of the month this will no longer be a home, just a place to stay before our move to foreign shores. Despite only being here for a short while, I have a fondness for Gran Alacant, it was perfect in every way. There is no time to look back now, our decision is made, it's time to move on!

Toxic! - Guest Blogger, Penelope Wren!

18/4/2018

Quote for the Week

I have seen the following quote doing its rounds on Facebook the past couple of months. It seems quite appropriate!

“When a toxic person can no longer control you, they will try to control how others see you. The misinformation will feel unfair; but stay above it, trusting that other people will eventually see the TRUTH, just like you did”. - Anonymous

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