Living in Cornwall, UK

Living in Cornwall has been one of the experiences that most defined the course of my life and changed me as a person.

Moving to another country is a big deal. But moving without a house, without a job, and without a single clue of what you’re going to do is even bigger.

In the middle of the “Covid year,” 2020, Jaime and I decided to move to England to learn English and start a new life of adventure. Other places appealed to us more, but most had their borders closed.

We took the ferry from our hometown, Santander, right in the middle of Storm Epsilon—a sea that left 6-meter waves on our coasts in October 2020. Ideal for a 24-hour crossing without a cabin. Things were starting off strong.

The very day before boarding, we found out the house we had rented was a scam, so we had no idea what we were going to do upon arriving in Plymouth. Back then, you had to do a 14-day quarantine when entering the country. Everything was very convenient.

We arrived in Newquay, the town we chose to live in. We found a crazy Airbnb run by Jules, a rather original guy who went barefoot and worked at sea. He smelled of wine like hell, but hey, he let us stay in his attic and offered us his things.

In that attic, we spent 14 days in quarantine. I had a few good cries, and we did job interviews over the phone. Everything worked out: we found a spectacular house and a job—well, not so spectacular, but you have to start somewhere.

Jobs and Accents

I worked as a home carer for the elderly for a month, in a nursing home for people with dementia for a day, cleaning a school for another month, and finally, I settled into a rather strange job.

It was at Covid Test Site L-510, and my job was to disinfect the booths where people took PCR tests at the height of the pandemic. My English was so poor when I arrived (even though I supposedly had a C1 level) that I didn’t understand anything and caught Covid in my first week of work.

I stayed there for six months, made incredible friends, and it was a spectacular experience. We spent so many hours together that we became a small family. There were people from various cities in England, so I was able to learn different accents and improve my English significantly. With one friend in particular, Brenna, I was lucky enough to meet up years later in Australia to celebrate our birthdays. Things that only happen to backpackers!

The Wild Coast of Cornwall

Cornwall is a region with no big cities. It is entirely rural, full of small villages scattered along the coast and inland.

It has a rugged, windswept, wild coastline with powerful waves coming from Atlantic storms. On calm days, those same waves turn into a transparent sea of peace, waiting quietly for the sun to set, offering movie-like sunsets. We surfed in many Cornish towns, in the coldest water I’ve ever touched and with the occasional seal popping up nearby. We visited many of them by car and many on foot along the South West Coast Path. We ate thousands of “Cornish Pasties” and were very, very cold.

The Power of Solitude

Moving to another country involves many challenges: the language, the house, the job, the new culture, the different food… but people don’t talk enough about the amount of time you’ll spend alone.

It was that solitude that brought about an inexplicable personal growth in me. I was lucky enough to move with Jaime, but even so, our work shifts were very different, and we spent a lot of time alone. A lot.

I am so grateful for how I made the most of that time in solitude to walk, sit by the sea, and write. I’ve never done it as much as I did back then, and I’m happy for how much it helped me.

What I Loved Most About Living in England:

• The Meal Times: I love eating lunch at 12:00 and dinner at 6:00 PM. Call me weird.
• Learning Cultural Manners: We are very different from the English in that sense. I feel I improved a lot in how I speak, ask questions, or deliver negative news… in general, I became more “polite.”
• Speaking English and Accents: I love languages, and simply living my life communicating in English made me feel great, useful, and capable. It gave my self-esteem a huge boost.
• Discovering Stunning Villages in a place I never would have imagined.
• Drinking Tea Every Day.
• Learning British History: During my time working with people over 90, I had the chance to hear many stories about the World Wars and 20th-century England. I’m very grateful to have shared those chats with them.

If you’re interested in knowing more about what to see or do in this incredible region, you can check out the official tourism website: Visit Cornwall.