A decade since I moved to my second home..

This is a very personal message.  The month of April is very significant to me as it marked the month when I officially made the big move to my second home.  And this year, 2018, is extra special to me as I am celebrating my 10th year here in Spain!! Wow!!! 10 long, challenging yet beautiful and productive years!  

I am very grateful to the blessings, mercy, compassion and grace of my Savior.  My faith and His Love for me have kept me going through these years!  

I am grateful to you Spain for accepting me as one of your citizens, for giving me these opportunities. 

I always, always look back with a grateful heart.  I am scribbling my top 10 most memorable moments/achievements in Spain, in no particular order.  

Muchas gracias España!! Te quiero mucho mi maridito, por eso he venido aqui a España para estar contigo. Nos casamos en mi pais pero construyemos, desarrollamos nuestra vida aqui en España.  Juntos estaremos mi amor con nuestro pequeño! Sois mi vida. Os amo!  

1.  Learning a 3rd language:  I know that I will never be fluent in Spanish.  But I am grateful that I am able to learn my 3rd language, Spanish.  I will never forget my Telefonica colleagues - Javier DR, Javier M, Lucia, Raul who were kind and accepting of me.  They pushed me to speak Spanish with my broken grammar and with my soft Filipino accent.  Now, I am able to confidently express and defend in Spanish and use it in my day to day activities.-  

2.  Buying our unit/house.  Adult´s decision. :)  

3.  Family Life.  Adult´s decision. :) 

4.  Being a mom.  Adult´s decision.  One of the best, most meaningful purposes of my life.  Thank you Lord God for givine me the opportunity to become a mom and a wife. 

5.  1 year sabbatical:  I always believe that things happen for a purpose.  So when I became a freelance IT PMO consultant and my client did not renew my contract, I took that as a chance to rest as I was already physically, mentally exhausted.  And that resulted to an amazing 1 year sabbatical which I dedicated 100% to my  son who then has entered preschool.  We built an amazing tandem and relationship that until today, I look back with a very grateful heart.  

6.  Rebuilding my career:  Thank you to eSolium and Accenture who gave me my 1st ever opportunity to work here in Spain.  And thanks to Aventia and Telefonica who gambled on my program management skills in spite of my then very broken Spanish.  It was never easy starting from scratch but these companies have given me the golden opportunity which I valued. It pays to be a dedicated, talented and productive professional.  I am a professional and I will continue to demonstrate my exemplary skills and capabilities.  

7.  Building and keeping friendships.  Friendship just like any other relationship is something that we should nurture as well.  I am thankful to all my friends overseas and to my closes friends here in Spain who have given me the chance to know them and who in turn appreciate, accept me for who I am. 

8.  My mom´s visit.  My mom visited us, stayed with us for a month and we had a lovely mom-daughter bonding. We even went to Rome, Italy.  Love you forever Mama!! 

9.  Spain getaways.   Spain is a beautiful country to visit and to live in.  Rich museums, good food, wine, Sangria, tourist spots.  I particularly love Sevilla, Barcelona and San Sebastian! 

10.  Integrating with the Spain social community.  Understanding the taxation system, social benefits, participating in church activities, communicating with our neighbors. :)