Imogen Dickens tought English for 3 years at Route 66 idiomas. She went back to England in August and now she wants to let us know how life is after Valencia…
A semi-Valenciana in Cambridge.
Last week in England was Bonfire night, an event where all cities gather to celebrate the foiled attempt to blow up The Houses of Parliament in the seventeenth century. Shuffling out the house wrapped up in scarves, gloves and coats to watch 15 minutes of fireworks felt a far cry from the spectacular fireworks on display I’d come to take for granted in Valencia. It wasn’t until this fifth of November that I truly started to miss the Spain that I had left three months previously. After spending more than three years living in Valencia I’ve learnt to appreciate a few Valencian traditions, one being that fireworks and mascletàs go hand in hand, miss out the mascletà and the fireworks seem to lack a crescendo. It started to make me think about other aspects of Spanish life that I missed: my daily café con leche sitting outside a sun-drenched café, cycling though the park surrounded by citrus trees, the culture of sharing food starting at 10pm and the seemingly relaxed attitude towards life. Reading this article you might think that I am really nostalgic for the life, friends and job that I have left behind, but instead I feel truly enriched by the life I am creating back in the UK. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of passers-by, the enthusiasm people have shown me whilst looking for a job, and above just how fantastic being surrounded by family really is. I like to think I’ve brought a little bit of Valencia with me even if it is drinking an horchata, whilst wearing slippers and listening to the raining beating against the windows!