Reflecting on the first half of my time in Lanzarote, I can honestly say it’s been incredible, even if it came with a few unexpected twists. Moving to a new country and setting up a life here was definitely a bit harder than I thought, mostly because I don’t speak Spanish. Navigating daily stuff and figuring out local communication took some patience in the beginning. But having the ocean and the sun right outside my window every single day gives me a boost of positive energy whenever I need it.
When it comes to my day-to-day work, things are going quite well. I started getting directly involved in the pool sessions that Mermaid School Lanzarote runs for little girls, helping teach them how to swim with mermaid tails. At the same time, I’ve been putting my marketing skills to work by filming videos, taking photos during the sessions, and creating posts for our social media. It is genuinely heart-warming to see how much joy this brings to the kids and their parents. Seeing their faces light up when they put on the tails, do a mini photoshoot, and glide through the water like real mermaids is just amazing. Moments like that remind me exactly why I fell in love with mermaiding in the first place and show just how much magic this business brings to people.
Of course, living and working in a new culture comes with its own challenges. The biggest one for me has been getting used to the local pace of life. Here in Spain – especially on an island with such a relaxed holiday vibe – people don’t rush into things, which was a bit of a shock to my Polish mind! For example, waiting for our printed promotional materials took much longer than I expected, and that slowed down the inflow of new clients coming into the school during July.
Even with those hiccups, I feel like the exchange is totally hitting its goals. Dealing with these real-life business hurdles has taught me so much about what it actually takes to run a niche sports business abroad. We put in a ton of prep work in July, and now that our marketing concept is finally ready, I’m really confident that August is going to bring better results. Moving forward, I’m adjusting my planning to fit the island’s naturally slower rhythm so things run a bit smoother. All in all, it’s been a fantastic learning experience, both personally and professionally!