I've decided to move to another country. Yes, after nine years of living in Colombia. I had built a whole life there—I had a stable, though somewhat toxic, job; wonderful friends; kind landlords; and a "safe and stable" environment that provided exactly what you need.
But after those nine years, I started to feel like something was still missing—that I hadn't reached my full potential, and somehow, I never would if I stayed there. So, I decided to save money, research, and dig deep to find courage I didn't even know I had to start over. And here I am in Spain, looking at the world with fresh eyes, scared, a bit helpless, and perhaps still a little lost about everything this journey entails.
Maybe the transition into this new country wasn't so immediate. Because, of course, being the "Pro-Max Adult" that I am, I came over on vacation first with my best friend and his boyfriend. I genuinely believed that if we traveled around Europe together first, it wouldn’t hit me as hard when it was time for them to leave. Let me tell you: I cried like a newborn baby when I had to say goodbye to one of the most important people in my life.
That’s exactly where everything truly began. Opening my eyes to a completely new life. Starting from absolute zero, pinching pennies to make the money last, hunting for a place to live, and embarking on the whole "European Paper Trail" journey of trying to get your papers and become a legal resident.
And guess what? Word-of-mouth isn’t just a Latin American thing. Through a "friend of a friend," I met a lady who rented me a room and told me I could get empadronada (register my address), which is the very first step toward a legal pathway. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But as the days went by, this person suddenly dropped a bomb: "Marry me, and I’ll get you your papers." My face turned into such a spectacular expression of pure, naive shock that even I couldn't believe it.
I think she expected me to jump with joy, thrilled and incredibly grateful for her "generous" offer. But when I told her I wasn’t interested, it was like squeezing one of those reversible plush toys and seeing the hidden face pop out. It was as if my refusal insulted her. Her tone of voice, her facial expression, and the way she treated me from that moment on made me feel like the whole thing had been my idea—as if I were the most dishonest, opportunistic person in the world.
I think what shocked me most was realizing that there are still such malicious, twisted people out there—people who want to do harm or take advantage of others just because they can.
With this, I want to say that, yes, I know it absolutely sucks to encounter people like this in the world. I know it can make you question every decision you’ve ever made, and it can even make you angry at yourself for trusting someone when you are clearly out of your territory and feel like you should be suspicious of your own shadow.
But I just want you to know that you are not alone. You shouldn’t stay silent, and you shouldn’t cry by yourself. Speak up, report it, or call a friend. Never think that just because you are in a foreign country, anyone can violate your boundaries without consequences.
XOXO
Li.
No comments:
Post a Comment