Living abroad as a girl

Like many people do, I decided to leave my home-town and live abroad, find a job and start a new life. London was not so popular then, so I opted for it.

I was 19 years old, fresh from studies, with no friends or job in Uk. Just a folder with 80 cv´s with no experience on, and an hunger to discover.

Times were so hard at the beginning: rent to pay, food to buy, clothes to wash, job to find, friendships to make…

Honestly, I have always been a princess at home and never touched a dish (I swear, I didn’t even know how to boil pasta!), so it was pretty destabilizing.

But slowly I made my way, found jobs, met million people and grew.

I guess many girls wish to start a new life in another country, but they are maybe scared just because they are girls

We are supposed to have always someone to protect us as we are not able to take care of ourselves, with a man providing us food and a house where to sleep (and to clean of course). Sure.

But my experience taught me that there are many good and bad things of being a girl travelling alone.

Let’s start with the good!

First of all you are totally alone, so you don’t have to give a s****t about anyone else. You don’t have to consult your friend/boyfriend about what you should eat or cook, who should leave the cv in that particular place or who should get the best room.

You are the only one to take care of, so it is always your way!

Second and also very important, it is much easier for us to find a job.

Trust me, even if your cv is the most disgusting in the world, a sweet smile can work better than 10 years of experience.

If you like partying, in the clubs you get many things for free or discounted and you usually get free entrance everywhere.

You don’t have to listen to your partner who knows the way better than you. You can simply get lost and find yourself in the middle of nowhere, in order to focus and try to find the right track. This is how you get to know a city like your pockets.

You can escape from some pretty messed up situations like getting away with paying a fine or while in the real middle of a between-gangs-fight!

These are just few of the good aspects, but there are as many bad.

Ok, it might sound like a contradiction but, sometimes you are lonely! You get frustrated for whatever reason, and the only thing you can cry on is the pillow.

You also have to pay all your bills full-amount without sharing and, after guys give you those free drinks in the club, there is none to take you home (without trying to take something else too of course).

Another problem is “Flatmates”.

As you are not Queen Elizabeth yet, you have to share a room/flat with strangers, and it can become unpleasant.

There are many kind of flatmates: the thief, the mummy, the ghost, the party animal or the one always at home.

I have lived with the thief-mummy, and it was so traumatic I have stopped sharing rooms after her.

This person would be sleeping all day long, without being worried to find a job, asking me to feed her, to share my clothes, friends and life with her.

This species is also known as “Parasite”.

Another bad thing of being a girl travelling alone is that, there will always be someone trying to use you in any kind of way as you are seen like a helpless creature.

From job environment to public places, different kinds of abuse or discrimination can be shown towards you, and hurt your feelings.

But this is life my dear girls, and good things can’t be never appreciated after the bad ones!

So please put yourselves together, pack your things and go.

You don´t know what it is waiting for you out there!!