A New Life in the Sun

As most of us are housebound and rather unlikely to be flying off to warmer climes anytime soon, we are all looking for a bit of escapism! One of my secret pleasures is watching A New Life in the Sun on channel 4.  As I usually work, I only get to watch it once a week, now I am getting to see the whole weeks episodes. This series follows expats as they follow their dreams of setting up new lives and businesses (in the sun) it started in 2016 by the production company, True North, it’s now on series six.  Despite the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, hundreds of enterprising Brits still continue to pursue their dreams of a new life overseas, even with the increasing obstacles. Spain ranks as the best place in Europe for expats wanting to enjoy a new life.

This is not that show where people find dream homes in Europe. And while we daytime viewers often daydream about spending our lives sipping wine on a sunny terrace, particularly on cold winter days. It’s a much more realistic documentary series, following Brits as they set up new businesses in mostly Spain and France. We see them through the highs and the lows. Some are starting B&Bs, while others are setting up a restaurant, yoga retreats, microbrewery, or a fishing boat charter business. There’s not a lot of time to relax as many discover! After renovating their properties, dealing with a whole array of problems from bureaucratic hold-ups and demanding customers. But in most cases, they insist that life is better than ever after taking the plunge, thanks to their businesses thriving, a better work-life balance and much more clement weather.

Any dramatic life change, especially one involving uprooting and adapting to a new culture, will have highs and lows, so it’s really interesting to see how tough (or easy) it is for them to start afresh abroad. I am always quite shocked at how many give up every thing to start a new life with limited cash resources, no knowledge of the business they are running and no ability to speak the language of their new country, I don’t know if I find this stupid, brave or a mix of the two. However, many advance preparations are made, there will be always be an element of risk in moving abroad, and I guess that its this willingness to call on a certain degree of open-mindedness, flexibility, and sense of humour that are vital ingredients in making a successful go of it.

I spent some time working in Spain and met some English, Germans and Americans who were living and working overseas. It was a great experience and one I would not have missed, but at times it was really hard. You don’t always have the things you take for granted, like drinking water, hot water, mains electricity, phone lines, the internet and local shops. Just popping out for milk is completely different when it’s a forty-minute drive to the nearest shop. Living in the  rural countryside in Spain can be harsh and isolating. (With no local public travel in some areas)  As for the weather, well its not always lovely and sunny, in fact it can get very cold in the winter, even in spring, up to May it can be warm in the day but very cold at night. And it does rain, the worst rain I have ever seen was in Madrid, the sunny city in April and Southern Spain in early September.

I found on my travels that some British people who move to Spain like to live in some kind of insulated English bubble only mixing with other Brits. I think, it’s not a wise move to not meet with the locals, who will go out of the way in most cases to welcome you and offer assistance. Many expat areas in Spain are hotbeds of bitchy gossips, silly arguments and over- drinking, as they often have lots of time on their hands and little to do. It’s a circle that you can end up being very unhappy in and you will not experience what life in Spain is really like. Learning to speak Spanish and offering to teach English, finding out how to cook the local dishes and going to the local fiestas, is a great way to spent any free time and embrace the culture.

If you are wanting to take the plunge and feel like showing the world your journey on the way then contacts: True North at  www.truenorth.tv. They produce the long-running series follows brits across Europe as they embark on their new adventures, and are looking for new businesses being set up: anything from bars, glamping, water and adventure sports to vineyards. Anything really!

Evidence shows too that if someone has worked abroad once, they are more likely to do so again. There is a kind of psychological make-up which enjoys an exciting nomadic lifestyle, and that probably never goes away. My grandfather always called me a nomad, whether I am or not, I don’t know but I do know I still have the traveling bug and hope I always do!