The first thought Jan had after he had finished his national duty in the Swedish military, was “I´ve got to go to Spain.¨ He was in his 20s and was the first Swedish ERASMUS student to come to Spain, moving to study at the University of Barcelona in 1995.
Almost 30 years later, he resides in Barcelona with his Spanish family and shares his love of Spain and “its way of living.”
Jan admitted that learning Spanish was “a struggle from day one,” but his mind was set; he knew that language was the key to unlocking the “unique and diverse world” that is within Spain.
Even back in 1995, when there were much fewer expatriates than today, Jan remembers how welcoming the Spanish community was. “I think Spain is the most welcoming country in the world because they are so used to having people from all over the world coming to see it.”
Now, Jan´s social circle is made up of Swedish, Spanish and European nations. He believes in a strong expatriate community: “Foreigners in Spain have the most in common with each other, no matter where they come from. Out of the entire planet, they choose to come here and that shows the kind of values that they have and the lifestyle they desire.”
At the same time, Jan´s first piece of advice to those moving is to learn the language. “It limits you so much if you don´t speak Spanish. You completely miss out on an authentic experience of Spain if you can´t understand its people.”
One of Jan´s favourite things about Spain is its diversity and uniqueness from region to region. He has travelled everywhere from Bilbao to Costa Blanca and Madrid and continues to explore the country.
He admits that he loves the climate but that also varies across Spain and with the country´s rich culture, unmatchable scenery and welcoming people; he has learnt that “Spain is so much more than just the sun.”
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our
Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from Moscow, with Russian and Armenian origins, Anna has lived in Costa Blanca for over ten years. She is passionate about singing, acting and traveling.
Leave a comment Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Known as the PEOPLE’S PAPER, Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain. And it’s FREE!
Covering the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, Almeria, Axarquia, Mallorca and beyond, EWN supports and inspires the individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities we serve, by delivering news with a social conscience. Whether it’s local news in Spain, UK news or international stories, we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home.
With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month, EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain. The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close.
Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP), Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall). All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers. All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE.
Sign up for personalised news
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Close
