Kicking off the new year, reflecting on the last.
When I first created my blog, it was always going to be my way of connecting life and football, and it still is. Although – I underestimated the changes my life would go through, the challenges I would experience, and how the concept of ‘kicking off’ would refer to so much more than my passion for football.
The play on words foreshadowed my experiences settling down in a new country, adjusting to new bureaucratic processes and genuinely learning to embrace how much my life changed.
When I moved, I didn’t realise just how much I would have to do. Applying for the visa to live in Spain already feels like a job interview – the police checks, the interviews, the payments and then the anxious wait for approval. Yet, once you get to Spain, you have a mountain of other tasks to complete – just to make your existence on Spanish land legitimate. (If any of you are interested in knowing more about this – message me!) Long story short – your girl is sorted now (and also a Spain relocation expert).
Since then, all these trials and tribulations aside
… I have fallen in love with Barcelona.
Moving somewhere new is like being handed a blank canvas and a paint brush; you design your life from scratch. Creating a new routine, finding a new gym, local grocery store, meeting new people and working or studying - it’s all totally up to you – and it’s incredible. Little everyday tasks leave you with big senses of accomplishment – not just because you got something done, but because you did it for yourself or because you were able to communicate in another language. Whether big or small, all the things I have achieved so far have left me feeling a sense of happiness and contentment about my life and I feel like I will forever be an advocate for moving overseas and challenging yourself in a new country. If you’re thinking about it, do it!
Football is still prevalent as ever in my life. Between watching football at the pub and playing locally, I have also started presenting for a small start-up sports agency in Barcelona. As fate would have had it, the owner of this agency found me and its been an interesting journey so far. Since then, this opportunity has helped me continue to work towards my dream. If you put yourself in the right place, sometimes these things come knocking on your door. I think that’s how you know you’re where you’re supposed to be.
I am so excited for the next few months - I have many exciting things coming up which I cannot wait to share. In the meantime, I wish you a Happy New Year and I hope you are kicking off your goals too.
Stay up to date with what I am doing and where I am on @kickingoffwithkat on Instagram.
Speak soon x
