Horse and Auto Racing

Community and culture From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (469 days old)

I’m not sure when the reality of moving abroad kicks in but it happens soon after arriving and I frequently find myself thinking ‘We live in Spain now!’. The process of moving, as ever, had its challe… more

Hamsters and adios From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (480 days old)

Today was traumatic - not for me but for Emily who had to say goodbye to the hamster that Father Christmas bought last year. Harry had become a loved member of the family - at least as far as Emily wa… more

The final push From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (492 days old)

After tentative discussions at the start of the year, applications on February, interviews and a job in March,and a preliminary visit in May it seems incredible that coe are now only two weeks away fr… more

Boybands and brawls From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (506 days old)

With only 29 days until we move we had a really relaxing weekend with no jobs towards moving getting done at all. On Saturday evening we had tickets for a Westlife concert. I guess attending a boyban… more

34 days to go From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (511 days old)

Does having a certain amount of frustration with the English system make an emmigration more or less likely to succeed? One view may be that it takes a certain amount of frustration with the system to… more

Washing machines and cars From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (520 days old)

Alongside looking forward to moving into this house is the seemingly huge amount of work to do prior to moving. We do have a tennant for our own house so that piece of the puzzle slotted into place q… more

The house in Spain From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (520 days old)

This week seems to have whizzed by in a whir of action and the beginnings of the enormity of the move seem to be hitting home. The house we are moving to in Spain is fantastic and key to the next few… more

Cars, rentals and planes From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (527 days old)

This seems to have been a manic week so far. The car is now for sale. At the time of putting it up for sale I was still intending to buy a van and self-move to Spain. Then, having found companies tha… more

Judging time and counting days From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (532 days old)

Everything to do with life is now compared to moving to Spain. I was dragging the wheelie bins up the front garden the other day and realised that I only have three more recycle bin empties between no… more

A week in Spain - a bright new future From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (535 days old)

Monday 26th May The day seemed long. A 2AM wake up with a six year old child is always going to make for a long day. The flight out was on time and pleasant despite a small amount of turbulence. The … more

Hola! From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (544 days old)

It seems a long time ago that we landed jobs for Spain in September and tomorrow the adventure really begins as we visit the area for the first time and start to take care of some of the necessary bus… more

Terraces and pools From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (554 days old)

Conversations about where to live in Spain, how to move to Spain, which car to take all seem to be on hold at the moment until we visit and make a choice on the property we want to rent. The aim is to… more

Houses, cars and work From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (564 days old)

Our minds at the moment are buzzing with the variety of different options for moving to Spain. Do we sell both cars and buy a van? Sell one car and buy a van? Sell one car and buy a trailer? Do we ren… more

Waterfalls, white noise and wise deals. From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (581 days old)

At 8AM yesterday morning Jason turned up to begin work on the bathroom floor and kitchen ceiling replacement. It always amazes me how even an honest and reputable company manages to overcharge on an i… more

Holidays, estate agents and plaster dust clouds From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (583 days old)

Getting away on a holiday always involves a little airport trauma but despite events conspiring against us the airport was remarkably calm if boring. My dad had offered a lift to the airport but due t… more

Manana Mallorca From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (595 days old)

A couple of years ago somebody pointed out to me the way Tesco, that great encourager of consumerism, can help you towards a free holiday. Basically Tesco clubcard points can be stored for upto two ye… more

Communication and connectivity From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (596 days old)

This is destined to be a shorter entry than usual as a result of the medium being used. I am writing the blog on a PDA. I don't know why but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I spotted the sale … more

Uncertainties and reported prospects From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (602 days old)

At the moment I'm torn between being absolutely certain that we're on the right track and all is going well and then being rocked by uncertainty that leaves me unsure of details and even worrying. The… more

Rights, responsibilities and carbon monoxide detectors From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (603 days old)

One of the reasons many people in the United Kingdom are considering emmigration is the over-bearing 'big brother' nature of the state. Since 1997 thousands (quite literally) of new laws have been pas… more

Easter eggs or fallas From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (607 days old)

The long Easter weekend is upon us and instead of feeling buoyed by the idea of four work free days I'm instead energised by the possibility of completing some more decorating in preparation for handi… more

The week behind and the week ahead From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (609 days old)

I've completely lost track of time since my successful interview for the job in Alzira. I'm not totally sure whether it was three or four weeks ago. The time has flown by and today seemed a typical 'n… more

? Belonging From plymyphil in (610 days old)

Do I belong in this group - I am in the UK and blogging my relocation to Spain. Moving date currently set as the 6th August this year. ALready have a job to goto that starts in September.… more

Learning the language From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (610 days old)

Whenever I watch one of those frequent programmes on television where Brits have relocated abroad and the presenter finishes by asking their advice, the answer is often to learn the language. It goes … more

Parent's evening From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (611 days old)

Tonight was Emily's parent's evening. The head of primary at the school in Spain had asked us to pass on her email address to Emily's current teacher so that she could discuss where to place Emily whe… more

The spoils From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (612 days old)

A shorter entry today but one which highlights one of the aspects of this relocation. It seems amazing how much 'stuff' a family acquires over time. Clearly keeping unnecessary items on an internation… more

The financial fuzz From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (613 days old)

One of the main reasons for moving abroad I guess is often the fact that financially the grass looks greener. Teaching fortunately is one of those professions that is in global demand and therefore my… more

Motivation From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (614 days old)

Understanding the motivations for folks choosing to move abroad is probably a challenge because I think my own motivations have only really started to become clear recently. There are definitely peopl… more

Relocating from UK to Spain - the purpose of the blog From plymyphil in Life and relocation to Spain (614 days old)

I guess every blog needs some sort of purpose even if that purpose isn't quite clear at the outset. The purpose in this case is to document the practicalities, emotions, excitements and disappointment… more