2:25 p.m. - Thursday, Nov. 08, 2018
Life is good
Right now, life is good. I'm basking in it while it lasts. I feel very relaxed. I returned from a short trip to Granada a few days ago and I am in the afterglow. It's such an indescribably lovely city. It has a magical quality, so much history and different cultures have passed through that place. Obviously I visited The Alhambra and I was very lucky it was a beautiful day. I went at 5pm and stayed a few hours until the sun set. As stunning as that was it was the old Arab quarter I fell in love with. I was fortunate enough to meet a local man in the hostel bar on my first night. He actually lives in Birmingham now and misses his hometown desperately. I'm not surprised... So he took me out the next night to a local's favourite tapas bar with his cousin. Three of us drank and ate well and the bill came to €19. I hardly spent any money whilst I was there. The tapas in Granada is famously generous. I don't know how they make a profit, the drinks are cheap too! So back to the Albaycin neighbourhood, it's just incredible. On a hill, all winding cobbled streets and white buildings. Alberto took me there after the tapas and showed me his favourite spot to view the Alhambra whilst we smoked a joint. I wanted to cry it was so unreal and beautiful. It felt so magical for the lack of people too, it was a cold November night afterall... As you walk through the streets you get a glimpse of the Alhambra through the gaps in the buildings, this golden lit palace against the black of the night sky and mountains.
Then we wandered down the hill back into town and went into a nightclub bar. It was so cosy and cool. A great mix of all ages. A DJ spinning old soul 45's. Very nice vibe. I decided then that I had found the place I want to die. I will move there one day. If I can even stay in Spain. It's made me even more ambitious to think I could live in that paradise. It's also very cheap. half the cost of Madrid, if not more than half. You can rent a 3 bed flat in the centre for €500 p/m. If I can fix my life so I can earn money anywhere I could live incredibly well. But Brexit is looking bleak. Looks like a no deal is on the cards. I should have gotten married two years ago as originally planned to my friend Eva, but I thought it might not happen or negotiations would go better than they have. We haven't even started negotiations by the looks of it. We have 5 months to go!
Good news is I have a couple of interviews next week for here in Madrid. It definitely feels like I have some good luck on my side right now. If I can get some work I will rent out the spare room temporarily and save a lot of money. I will invest some too. My goal is to have €20k savings by this time next year. Gotta think about my pension etc. Though I really should invest it into my business. I set up a website for my patterned products but I need to build up my inventory and really push it. I could do well if I invested €1k into it I think. Get some bulk printing done, bring my costs down, wider profit margin... start doing a market. It takes a long time to get all your ducks in order and get a financial buffer behind you but i feel like I am finally getting there. Just as Brexit comes along to potentially fuck things up. So I need to find a Spanish spouse...
