From Spain to Sutton Coldfield: How the Universe Redirected My Dream

It’s funny how the universe works, how life twists and turns in ways we don’t expect. For nearly twenty years, I’ve carried a quiet dream: to live overseas in a warm country, perhaps Spain or somewhere else in sunny Europe. As I grew older, that dream felt more and more like a calling.

First Steps Toward Spain

In early 2023, I decided to finally explore the idea. The plan was simple: find a place in Spain, move there in time, leave my corporate job, and build a yoga life in the sun. I’ve travelled back and forth to Spain for many years and have friends there, so it felt like a natural next step.

By July 2023, I was viewing properties. I found one that I fell in love with, very old, very Spanish, and perfectly within my budget. It needed work, but I could see its charm. I returned in September, viewed it again, and knew it was a sign. I decided to buy it, refurbish it, and use it as my stepping stone.

A Sweet Apartment, Not the Full Dream (Yet)

The apartment wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. It wasn’t close to the beach, it had no land for a small studio, and it was too small to teach from. But it didn’t crush the dream. I imagined settling in Spain, leaving the corporate world, teaching at an established yoga shala, and eventually opening my own studio.

On 28 October 2023, I picked up the keys; my dream was manifesting. I threw myself into the refurbishment, testing my “qualified painter and decorator” and “qualified plumber” skills.

With a little help from Spanish builders for the garden and exterior work, I spent three months going back and forth: full-time job in the UK, then flights to Spain to renovate, then back again. I kept as much of the original furniture as possible, upcycling the old Spanish pieces to bring the apartment into the 21st century.

A Sudden Turn: The Studio Opportunity

And then the universe surprised me. An opportunity for a unit in Sutton Coldfield appeared, the space that would become Happy Mat Yoga Studio. My dream of opening a studio did come true, just not in the country I expected.

I collected the studio keys in early May 2024, rolled up my sleeves for another refurb, and opened the doors in June 2024. Suddenly, I had a beautiful apartment in Spain and, in the UK, the business that held my heart.

Choosing Presence and Community

With the studio growing and my commitment to my students deepening, I realised I couldn’t be on planes all the time. I needed to choose presence. In January 2025, I sold the Spanish apartment. Letting it go was bittersweet, but it allowed me to fully honour my dream here: creating a warm, welcoming space for practice and community at Happy Mat Yoga.

The Dream Lives On

Where do I sit now? The dream of Spain is still alive, just resting in a different form. Maybe the journey will take me back there one day, perhaps in an unexpected way. For now, I’m listening, trusting, and letting the universe guide me, just as it always has.