‚Emigrating‘ is a word that evokes a sense of adventure. It conjures up images of setting out, of freedom, of a new life under foreign skies. And that is indeed the case. Yet behind this notion lies a much quieter reality: the moment when you actually leave. Not just for a winter season, not on a trial basis, but for good. It is a decision to start your life afresh once again.
Emigrating rarely begins with a single defining moment. It is a quiet decision that takes shape over months or years. Then, one day, there comes a point when an idea or a wish becomes reality.
You board a ferry or a plane – without a return ticket. It’s a strange feeling. Friends and family are left behind. You realise that a new chapter in your life is now beginning.
Emigrating to the Canary Islands – a report
Anyone who emigrates without a safety net experiences this moment very intensely. There’s no flat left in your old home country, no key in your pocket that could serve as an emergency exit. There’s no ‚If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be back in no time.‘ That doesn’t mean a return is impossible. Nothing is final, but the journey back would be, in organisational, financial and emotional terms, like another emigration. Everything starts from scratch again – only this time in your old home country.
Moving abroad takes a fair bit of courage. Fear of the unknown is inevitably part of the process. Have I really thought of everything whilst planning this, and haven’t I forgotten anything? Will I be able to cope with Spanish bureaucracy?
Upon arrival, it all feels a bit like a holiday at first; at the same time, however, as an immigrant in the Canary Islands, you’ll be faced with a mountain of forms and appointments. A ‚gestoría‘ – someone who helps with forms and dealing with the authorities – is highly recommended.
Over time, something changes inside you – at least, if you let it. Everyday life sets in, but it loses its weight. Time in the Canary Islands doesn’t tick any worse; it just ticks differently. You could get annoyed by the slow pace of things – or you could just let it be. At some point, you realise that you’ve become calmer yourself.
Moving to the Canary Islands is a gradual process
Settling in is not a fixed point. It’s a gradual transition from being a visitor to the islands to becoming a resident of the Canary Islands. It doesn’t just happen overnight. Understanding and accepting the Canarian mindset takes a bit of time. Needless to say, it’s essential to at least try to learn the language in order to truly find a new home.
Expatriates who accept that in the Canary Islands it is not just the weather, but so much more besides, that is simply different from what they are used to back home, do indeed find themselves starting a new life in the Canary Islands.
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