Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Catalunya?

Or just to move abroad?

This is one in a series of interviews with people who came from other countries to live here.  I asked them the same questions that people often ask me to see what different stories emerge. You can read them here over the next weeks.

Oreneta’s Story

Please tell us a bit about yourself ?

I’m a Mom, a Sailor and adventurer, a traveller and a teacher. Oops, that’s most of it in one.  I love a challenge and I love to relax, though I don’t get to enough.

How long have you lived here?

8.5 years.

Are you working here and if yes, what do you do?

Whew! yes indeedy! I have 4 jobs here, mostly though I teach English and I parent and I wife.

Three favourite things about living in Catalunya?

People, weather/food tied.

Three things you don’t like about life here?

The economy, the politicians, the corruption (see 1 and 2)

What do you miss most about your ‘home’ country?

Friends, family, wider range of food cultures

Three things you have learned about yourself or life since living here?

Geez. I still stink at learning languages, I still have tremendous stamina (good thing too that) and I still love my husband, all good.

What language(s) do you speak in your daily life here?

English and Catalan

Do you plan to return to your native country and in what circumstances would you definitely want to go back?

At some point, probably, we return every year for 2.5 months, and would like to continue to do so. If the economy melts down here or the politics get too firey, we’d move on.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving to this country?

Make sure you’ve got your financial ducks all lined up, cause the job market is terrible.

Oreneta also writes a blog which you can see HERE

This is the first in a series of interviews which I will be posting over the next few weeks. While walking the Camino my plan is to add another interview each week and also send short updates from my phone on how the walk to Santiago de Compostella is going.

Sign up in one of the subscription boxes on this page to get all these posts delivered straight to your inbox.  More news from the Camino will be sent to The Catalan Way Facebook page so click a Like on there and you can follow my progress.

Are there any questions you would ask someone about what their life is like after moving to an new country?  Let us know in the comments and we will try to get some answers for an updated post later this year.

 

 

 

Photo credit: Ducklover Bonnie / Foter / CC BY-ND