On 14th January 2023, I flew to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. I had been in Brighton for six years, since spending a year in Australia from 2016-2017 and due to the pandemic, I hadn't travelled extensively since then. Also, aside from teaching French and Spanish lessons, I hadn't really had the opportunity to speak 'my languages' on a regular basis.
I was scared to go. Prior to leaving, I thought maybe I didn't enjoy travelling anymore, that maybe I was now 'rooted' in the UK and that living abroad for extended periods of time was in my past. I felt nervous about packing up my things, leaving Brighton and setting up somewhere else (albeit for a few months only). I now know that all the fear was unnecessary. If anything my love of travel has been revived, like a little dwindling spark that just needed some oxygen to cause it to burst into flames again.
I had my sights set on Gran Canaria because a) they speak Spanish there, b) it has amazing weather even in winter, c) they have surf, d) I had a friend there. I definitely made a great choice, it is honestly an absolute gem of an island. Those of you who know me know about my love affair with Latin America: the bright colours, the joy, the dancing, the food, so much vibrance and so many countries to explore. Well, my first impressions of Gran Canaria was that it felt Latin American; colourful buildings, palm trees, sunshine, friendly people, and in the centre of the island, amazing dense, lush greenery.
I fell head over heels with the island. Aside from working online, I spent many hours attending surfing lessons, looking at the turquoise water, the palm trees along the seafront and the lush green hills, thinking "I am so blessed, this is living, I feel so happy!"
However, I write this post with a great deal of sadness, due to Brexit. First of all, my identity is European, not British. I feel profoundly connected to other European countries, hence my fascination with and love of languages. Even when in school, I was innately aware of the possibilities that could open up for me, the places in which I could live and build a life for myself. I was privileged enough to do this in both France and Spain, where I spent a total combined period of 5/6 years. Whereas pre-Brexit, I could've decided that I wanted to spend more time in Gran Canaria and carve out more of a life for myself, that is no longer possible. We Brits are now allowed to spend 90 days within a period of 180 in the whole of the Schengen area. (This in itself is a very confusing calculation to have to carry out - you have to count backwards from the date you're going to leave the EU, which gives you your start date. As long as this doesn't exceed 90 days, then you're ok.)
I've found myself wondering about the desire of native English speakers to learn another language and worrying that Brexit will affect motivation levels. I could rant and rave about Brexit and all the damage it's already done, but I don't think that would be very constructive or very useful! I will however say that I do still believe in the relevance and power of learning another language. If anything, now more than ever, we Brits need to show solidarity with other countries, show that Europe is still important to us and that for many of us, we are regretful it's even happened. So many people I met in Gran Canaria were astounded and happy that I spoke fluent Spanish, and this immediately created a rapport and an interest on their part to know more. There are also ways around the Brexit issue. For example, Spain has recently launched its 'Digital Nomad Visa', which for people who work remotely is an ideal option and allows you to stay for up to one year. I myself am intrigued about this option.
Even if you're not a person who desires to spend a long stint in Europe, it's still so worthwhile learning another language. According to science it stimulates grey matter in the brain that otherwise goes unused, it allows you to connect with people on a deeper level and get drawn into the culture and atmosphere more easily than if you're only speaking English. If you're interested in learning either French or Spanish, please get in touch to find out about the courses I have on offer, and don't give up on your ambition of learning another language!
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