Name: Peace Bailey
Where you can find Peace : Instagram
Nationality: British
Current Host Country: Spain
Previous Locations:
I fled my home country Rwanda with my family 27 years ago when we had a genocide. I’ve lived in Congo, Kenya, Germany and the UK.
Years Abroad: 20+
Years in Current Location: 3
Occupation: English Teacher
I moved to my current country because: My husband and I first came to Spain when our oldest son was 1 (he’s 7 now). I was pregnant with our second child and we wanted to explore the country. Every Christmas or Easter we went away to a different part until we realised we wanted to raise our family here! We chose Almeria because the climate is reliable and one of the best in Spain. I hate the cold, after 19 years in the UK it was time for some permanent sunshine.
The three things you need to make it here is:1.The language (the area we live in doesn’t have many English speaking people) 2. Plenty of patience (nobody is in any rush) 3. An open mind (be prepared to embrace a new way of life instead of clinging to your own).
The Best thing about living in my host country has been:
Without a doubt it's the weather. Meaning we can spend more time outdoors, that's the lifestyle we wanted for our family.
My favorite experience living here has been… spending time outdoors, whether we’re walking along the promenade, playing at the park, cycling or doing another activity, being outside together is important to us as it’s one of the main reasons we chose to move. We clearly remember how much the UK weather forced us to be stuck in the house meaning more screen time, we wanted more for our children. In the summer our routine revolves around the communal pool, it gets very hot in July and August when the children are off school so we use it several times a day. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people who are on holiday here.
If you’re considering living here, you need to leave this at home : That everyone will welcome you. In this area most people are Spanish . You have to specifically look for other nationalities. As a black woman, married to a white man with mixed race children we really stand out here in Roquetas de Mar because it’s not the norm. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as change has to come to all parts of the world and we get to be a part of it.
The biggest lesson I learned as an expat is...
I'm so much stronger than I thought, basically there are no limits to my ability apart from the ones I put on myself.
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