Around half a million people leave the UK to live abroad each year. A survey by the British Council showed 72 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds would consider living and working overseas, with cold weather, the high cost of living, extortionate childcare, a lack of work-life balance and even poor romantic prospects among their motivations for leaving the country. The i Paper’s Expat Files follows Britons who have taken the leap and settled elsewhere, detailing the ups and downs of their journeys.
The rising temperatures and wildfires in Spain are having a major impact on the lives of British expats, bringing many to reconsider their choice of relocating to the “warm” Mediterranean. Barbara Collins, a 72-year-old former accountant from London, moved to Granada three years ago. But now the excessive heat is pushing her to end her lease early and look for a cooler city in Europe.
I’ve always dreamed of living in a Mediterranean country, but I never imagined that my craving for a year-round sunshine spot could one day turn into the biggest regret of my life.
When I decided to leave London three years ago – after retiring from my accountant job in the private health sector – like many Brits, I was hungry for a place where it would always be warm and seldom rained. Where I could just kill time out in the open, lazing on a plaza, enjoying my tapas with a glass of wine, even in winter.
