Issue #3: 🏠 Relocating from London (via Bali) to Galicia, Northern Spain
We meet the writer who left her job in fashion and created a life less ordinary
The interview: Carving out a new career whilst travelling in the world
In 2017, Sally Fox was living in London and working in fashion, when she decided that the industry and stressful lifestyle that came with it was no longer for her. After an initial solo trip to Vietnam, it wasn’t long before she packed up her bags in the city and embarked on what would become an adventure across three continents.
“One rainy September morning, I boarded a flight from Heathrow to Yangon, Myanmar, telling friends I’d probably get homesick and be back in a week. But six months turned into eight and I still wasn’t ready to go back. “
Sally is now living in Galicia in Northern Spain with her partner, working remotely as a writer.
What compelled you to relocate? Was there a lightbulb moment?
Our relocation to Galicia is the latest in a string of moves and changes, but maybe I should start with how I ended up leaving the UK. Back in 2017, I was living in London, renting a room in a friend’s place. I was burnt out by my job in the fashion industry, spending the weekends partying to deal with the stress from work. (Which doesn’t work, funnily enough.) I was caught in a vicious cycle where my job was awful but I relied on it to pay for the lifestyle I needed to recover from the stress. I’d taken a two-week solo trip to Vietnam at the start of the year and met so many people also in their early thirties who had quit their jobs to travel. I guess the idea percolated and I realised I could try something different.
At the time, I only planned to be away for six months. One rainy September morning, I boarded a flight from Heathrow to Yangon, Myanmar, telling friends I’d probably get homesick and be back in a week. But six months turned into eight and I still wasn’t ready to go back. Funds dwindling, I decided I’d try this remote work thing I’d seen a few other travellers doing. I remember meeting a guy who used to sell sofas for DFS who was making a tonne writing content online so I thought, ‘How hard can it be?’
I got a job as a virtual assistant for a life coach. I was in the east of Indonesia at the time and she was in Bali so I swung the position despite my lack of experience by promising to go and work with her in-person for a while. I rented a studio apartment overlooking the rice fields, and got to work. I’d been backpacking solidly going from place to place for months, so I was glad for some stability. This was the start of the ‘slomad’ life.
I picked up a few more gigs with other coaches and started working online teaching Chinese children English through a platform. The money wasn’t great but my living costs were very low.
I started writing. Travel blogging, sometimes for $5 an article. Written communication had always been something I was good at so it seemed like a natural progression from the VA work where I was doing lots of content creation anyway. Six months later I was writing full time, earning enough to quit the teaching job just as singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star ten times a day was beginning to wear thin.
It was during my four month stint in Bali that I met my partner. He’s Spanish, but was living in Namibia and had come to Bali on holiday with a mate. When he flew back to Namibia two weeks later he asked me to come and visit. I had a few trips planned to see friends in Australia and visit Japan and Taiwan but when we both still felt keen for me to come, I booked a flight.
That was how I found myself in the middle of the Namibian desert. Quite the culture shock after a year in Asia. We lived in Namibia for six months before we both felt it was time to move on. My partner had always dreamt of learning to fly, so he signed up to a flight school on Gran Canaria and in June 2019 we moved there.
We upped sticks again in March 2020, just before COVID hit, when my partner was offered a temporary job in Portugal. We lived out lockdown in a town called Viana do Castelo an hour north of Porto. When that job ended and the borders reopened, it seemed logical to go back to my partner’s home region, just a couple of hours drive away from Viana. And so we made it to Galicia in July this year.
Tell us more about Galicia!
Since my partner and I met, of course, I’ve heard wonderful stories about Galicia. The rugged landscapes, the mild climate and the food. Gallegos love their food. But to be honest, it wasn’t a place I knew much about. In my ignorance, I assumed that all of Spain was flamenco and paella. It was a real eye-opener when my partner showed me a photo of the traditional dress of his region and they looked more like Morris dancers than the sultry flamenco costumes I had in mind.
That said, some aspects of Spanish culture hold true even in this northern enclave. The warmth, friendliness and generosity of the people. The culture of sitting outside with friends over a beer at any time of day. The rush to the beach any time the sun comes out.
What makes Galicia special? Let’s start with the landscape. It has some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen, some with water so turquoise you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in the Philippines. It also has soaring mountains, rolling vineyards and spectacular forests. I also love Galician cities. They tend to have really picturesque, pedestrianised old towns full of little bars and shops to wander through.
The weather is hot and sunny most of the summer, (much more reliable than a British summer) and doesn’t get quite as cold in the winter. It’s true, it rains a lot here. But the reward is the beautiful green landscape, which, having lived in dry, dusty Namibia and Gran Canaria has been a welcome change.
The food is a source of great pride for Galicians. Their speciality is octopus, which comes doused in olive oil, paprika and salt, but the range of seafood and the magical things they do with it really know no bounds. A bocadillo de calamares (calamari sandwich) is all you need to soak up a few beers, whilst Sundays spent doing a churrasco (barbecued ribs) with friends are hard to beat.
How did you make the transition to working in Spain?
I’m so lucky to be able to work wherever there’s a wifi connection. The reason I was able to join my partner in Namibia and then make all the moves we’ve made together since have been thanks to this.
Back in the UK I was working unholy hours for a big fashion corporation achieving little in the way of job satisfaction or career progression. Now, I work for myself as a freelance copywriter. I mostly help small sustainable businesses with their website content, blog posts and email marketing. I appreciate having the freedom of working when it suits me, choosing who I work with and being able to match my work with my values.
If your company lets you work remotely or you have a job you could do freelance, it’s worth considering the benefits remote work has for your mentality and your lifestyle.
Let’s talk about living costs - how much rent do you pay?
Rent in Galicia is cheap compared to the UK. Anything from around €600 a month will get you a decent two-bedroom place in a city. Short term rentals on sites like Airbnb will be noticeably more expensive, so to cut costs I would recommend staying for at least three to six months and using local sites like Idealista to find a place.
Wandering around your chosen town can also be fruitful as people will advertise with a sign in the window and a phone number if a property is available. If renting through an agent, check what the fees are before you sign because they can be as much as a month’s rent in addition to a deposit. Facebook, for all its sins, is also a good place to property hunt and you’ll likely find out loads of useful information you’d otherwise have never known.
How do your property and living costs per month compare with your pre relocation life?
There’s no comparison. Life in London is a constant drain on resources and I don’t think I ever made it to the end of the month with more than a few coins to my name. Even factoring in regular journeys back to the UK to visit friends and family, life here is so much more affordable.
What are your insider's tips for Galicia?
Pontevedra has my favourite old town, it’s ideal for a morning wandering around, grabbing a coffee and some churros and taking pictures of the old buildings.
The best beaches in my opinion are further up the ria beyond Marín but honestly I’m yet to see a bad beach here.
Ribeira Sacra is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It’s a wine region with stunning canyons and little monasteries tucked into the hills.
There are lots of fantastic hikes, but it’s also a very popular region with cyclists. One of my favourites is the Ruta da Pedra y da Agua which follows a river dotted with old mills up to an old monastery.
If you’re into history, the Castro de Baroña is an ancient settlement right on the coast. There are also lots of old legends and stories. For example the reason the cathedral at Noia is unfinished, or what happened to celebrated painter Ramón Sampedro on the Playa des Furnas. There’s so much history and culture to be discovered.
