A Change Will Do You Good.

 

At the time of my last post I was working in sunny Spain , learning a lot at a new job and planning a week long trip back to Sweden for Midsummers.

The crisis is very much a reality in Spain. Even if you manage to find employment , there is no guarantee you will get paid. The restaurant business is a tough industry to be in at the best of times. Andalucía relies heavily on the tourists dollar, and although the tourists are still there, they are much more reluctant to part with their money. High end restaurants, such as Tragabuches (where the least you can expect to spend per person for a meal, is €100) are experiencing empty dining rooms night after night. Meanwhile the middle range restaurants seem to be faring a lot better. There is a real need for flexibility. Unless these high end places change their concepts and open themselves to other markets, by offering more affordable options, the prognosis is fatal.

Although I was grateful for such a great learning opportunity, I ended up losing money when I started work at Tragabuches. It is now August and after numerous bounced checks and subsequent bank fees, I am yet to be paid for the 270 odd hours I worked in June. It’s an unfortunate fact of life but we need money to survive and when the work/ life ratio is unbalanced, motivation wanes.

While back in Sweden for Midsummers, my friend Erik offered me a role he had offered me almost two years earlier. It meant spending all my days out at the beach, starting up food sales to the public in a brand new kite surfing house. It was an appealing offer.

 

               

So one week before my 26th birthday, I went back to Spain, quit my job, broke up with my boyfriend, moved out of my house and was back in Sweden within a week.

Although I adore Spain and the Spanish culture, I struggled to find my place there. Whereas I feel very much at home in Sweden. So while Sweden may not have the sunshine and cheap cervezas, nor does my new job hold the prestige that comes with working at a place like Tragabuches, life at the beach, surrounded by a great group of young people isn’t such a bad trade.