Roaming Brit
  • Blog
  • The Story Of Us
  • Other Blogs
    • Forever Enduring Cycles Blog 2015 >
      • Forever Enduring Cycles
      • Bipolarcoaster
      • Books For Sale
  • Gallery
  • Spain
    • First Month
    • Three Months
    • Six Months
    • One Year
    • 2 Year Anniversary
    • Spanish Views
    • Gran Alacant >
      • GA Advertiser
      • Gran Alacant News
      • LoungeD
      • No Wives Club
  • About
    • New Life
    • Wedding
    • 21 Years
    • Timeline
    • My Story
    • Australia 2016/17
  • Guest Bloggers
    • Penelope Wren
    • Debra Rufini
    • Claire Coe
    • Richard Guy
    • Optimistic Mummy
    • Julie Rawlinson
    • Letters Of Hope
  • Links
  • Contact
  • My Writing
    • Short Stories From My Youth
    • Verruca Almond
    • The Streets

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

Picture

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 have to be made. Illness, family bonds and a Change of heart all make for challenging times in a life of a 'Roaming Brit!'

Picture

Gran Alacant - Making The Right Choices!

23/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
It has been nearly two years since I left Spain to return to the UK, after what I can only describe as a manic time living and working in Gran Alacant. As I look back at that period I am reminded of the difficult journey that Darrell and I travelled, trying to forge a new life in a country both of us loved but knew little about. In this new section of Roaming Brit, I want to relive my experiences in Spain and try to understand just what went wrong. It is true to say our move in 2015 was brought about by adverse circumstances, and we started off our new life in a rather negative way. On the surface this could well have signalled the beginning of the end of our adventure before it even started, but of course our move was significant for many other reasons, not just the turmoil that was the catalyst for our decision to move.

We left Britain behind with some apprehension, neither Darrell nor I knew if our move would work and really had to take a chance, leaping into the unknown and trying to salvage what was left of the life we once had. After a terrible time working for Oxfam and the bullying we endured for many years, we both decided a fresh start was necessary to begin the process of rebuilding and repairing our sense of self-worth. After much research we decided Spain would offer us the best chance of a new life away from the memories of the past. By the time we left the UK, we were both exhausted, ill and shadows of our former self. As I stepped onto the plane with Jamie, a friend who had decided to move with us and Darrell had left Southampton with a single van load of stuff, we were both really unprepared for what happened next. Spain was nothing like we had imagined, it was the beginning of the most difficult time in our life.

After a brief stay in Alicante, we took a taxi to our new home in Gran Alacant, a destination we chose through luck. We saw a house we liked online and immediately contacted the agent a few weeks before our departure. We knew nothing about this small urbanization in the Valencia region, except it was close to Alicante, Benidorm and Torrevieja in the South. It was the ideal choice for our relocation, being close to work and links to Britain. This seemed like the perfect
raison d'être on paper and as we drove up to the new house, I was positive about our decision.

The weather was cold, very cold and the house even colder inside. This was the beginning of February and all of us were unprepared for the freezing temperatures that greeted us. When one thinks of Spain, one never imagines for a minute the British like conditions, howling wind and icy cold nights, but Spain in the middle of winter was as bad as Britain, if not worse. The houses were cold, without central heating or carpet and the single glazed windows let in the cold and damp air. Our location at the top of Heart Attack Hill overlooking a ravine was indeed idyllic, but it also left us exposed and vulnerable at a time when the weather outside was decidedly unwelcoming. The first few weeks took some getting used to and all of us suffered to differing degrees.

It was important for me to get out and about as soon as I arrived and not dwell on the past. The predominantly British Expat community would be our home, and we needed to find our place within it, meet the locals and discover just what life was like in Gran Alacant. It didn't take too long to find our way around and introduce ourselves to residents. Daily activities were centred around one of three squares, Plaza Mayor, Sierra Mar and the Centro Commercial, as well as a strip of bars and restaurants at Carabassi at the bottom of the hill we overlooked; everywhere was within walking distance. With beautiful white sandy beaches, just a short walk away, the lifestyle this enclave offered was inviting and popular among the many tourists and second homeowners who lived there! The streets were safe and clean, the locals would say hello, pass the time of day and were generally more approachable. At first this was a little disconcerting, but as time moved on, I became used to this friendly community vibe and grew to love its charm.

The characters that lived and worked in GA, as Gran Alacant is affectionately known were varied and full of surprises. Within a short space of time I had made friends with some incredible people, who went out of their way to help me fit in and adapt to Expat life. Sitting in Dick Turpin, looking out across the square, winter sun high in the sky, warming my cold hands from the night before, I was suddenly at ease, safe and feeling at home. This was the first amicable bar we had stumbled across and I can't fault it in any way. In reality, this was how I pictured life living in the sun and I wanted to make this adventure work. An instantaneous feeling of determination overwhelmed me and I made a pact with myself to do everything possible to remain focused, at a time when I could have so easily let go. After such a horrendous time in the UK before we left, this is when the weight of the World lifted from my shoulders and it was all thanks to those locals who made our first few weeks so memorable, happy and inviting. Gran Alacant was my home, as it still remains today, firmly in my heart, rooted in the memories of an altogether better time!


Picture
Picture
Picture


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    51-year-old Author and professional blogger. Expat formerly living in Gran Alacant on the Costa Blanca! Currently, residing in my adopted home of Perth, Western Australia.

    Picture

      Contact Luke.

    Submit
    Picture
    Click me & email for more information!
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Asia-2019
    Australia
    Australia 2022/23
    Bettys-revenge
    Bipolar
    Bipolarcoaster
    Britain
    Bullying
    Business
    Cancer Research
    Cats
    Characters-i-have-known
    Charity
    Charlatan-or-confidant
    Christmas Thoughts
    Claybornes World
    Coming-out-stories
    Cooking
    Coronavirus
    Croatia 2022
    Current Affairs Politics
    Darrell In The Uk
    Death Of Queen Elizabeth
    Dunbars
    Easy Horse Care
    Events
    Events That Shaped My World
    Family
    Fascinating-facts
    Friends & Colleagues
    Gran Alacant
    Guest Bloggers
    Ibs
    Immigration
    Information
    Inspirational People
    Interviews
    Japan And Thailand 2020
    Jersey-2019
    Lifestyle Break
    Lockdown-life-in-photos
    London 2022
    Lounge-d
    Luke-martin-jones-awards
    Marmite Watch
    Memories Of Fareham
    Memories-of-home
    Memories-of-southampton
    Memories Of Spain
    Me-too-oxfam
    Milestones
    Moving
    My Life
    My Writing
    Non Touch Toast
    Oxfam Sociopathy
    Penelope Wren
    Photographs-of-hope
    Platinum Jubilee
    Quotes
    Rabs-world
    Remembering Gran Alacant
    Reviewing Gran Alacant
    Santa-pola
    Self-isolation
    Shopping
    Short Stories From My Youth
    Southampton
    Spiritual
    Teaching Jamie
    Thailand 2022
    The-darkness
    The-streets
    The Two Of Us
    Travel
    Verruca-almond
    Visits From Friends
    War In Europe
    Weight Loss & Health
    Year In Review 2015
    Year In Review 2016
    Year In Review 2017
    Year In Review 2018
    Year In Review 2019
    Year In Review 2020
    Year In Review 2021
    Year In Review 2022
    Zest

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Tweets by realtruthblog
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture


    Instagram
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    A place to call home
    Finally, a place we can call home.  A community of like minded individuals, who used to call Britain home.  Now Spain is our choice, an altogether gentler, happier, sunnier and safer experience!
            Luke Feb 16
    Picture
Picture
Picture

Telephone

+447999663360

Email

lukemartin.jones@gmail.com
  • Blog
  • The Story Of Us
  • Other Blogs
    • Forever Enduring Cycles Blog 2015 >
      • Forever Enduring Cycles
      • Bipolarcoaster
      • Books For Sale
  • Gallery
  • Spain
    • First Month
    • Three Months
    • Six Months
    • One Year
    • 2 Year Anniversary
    • Spanish Views
    • Gran Alacant >
      • GA Advertiser
      • Gran Alacant News
      • LoungeD
      • No Wives Club
  • About
    • New Life
    • Wedding
    • 21 Years
    • Timeline
    • My Story
    • Australia 2016/17
  • Guest Bloggers
    • Penelope Wren
    • Debra Rufini
    • Claire Coe
    • Richard Guy
    • Optimistic Mummy
    • Julie Rawlinson
    • Letters Of Hope
  • Links
  • Contact
  • My Writing
    • Short Stories From My Youth
    • Verruca Almond
    • The Streets