Reflection

Life in Tenerife can be tough financially sometimes, especially when it is low tourist season, and I want to organise a birthday do for Natalia, or you get a letter home saying the kids need this or that or I want to buy a new dress which I've seen on the internet, or go on a boat trip, this time last year I would have just done it. Also paying a small fortune for your child's filling isn't ideal. It is hard & fustrating not speaking the language, I know lots of people here don't but we have children and need to intergrate. Sometimes it can be lonely having no real friend to confide in, that is probably what I miss the most. We have lots of aquaintances.

Then I have to consider our jobs in the UK were stressful and the kids education wasn't great and so much of life was materialistic. The is no guarantee we would still have our jobs. The weather is great most of the time, we can go rock pooling or to the beach. The kids are becoming bilingual and have a lot more outdoor life. They are happy.The Spaniards involve children so much more maybe that is why things in general are so much better because children are nurtured and every village has sports facilities.

Nowhere is perfect and yes there are bits of the UK I crave at times and wish we were financially secure but would I swap our old life for this one then the answer is no. I just have to learn to budget and be more tolerant. Accept I can't have everything and be grateful for what we have. I am looking forward to visiting friend and family in the UK though.