Blog #5

Hi everyone, this is blog number five. In this one, I'm going to try something a little different and share the challenges I've faced over the last couple of months (especially May which has been tough). Yes, you've seen and heard the amazing side of my new life, but I always aim to be open, transparent and honest with my friends, family, students and all of you who keep up to date with my life since moving to Budapest, Hungary.

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I've often talked about the great things, the exciting moments, and the privileges I've experienced, for which I'm incredibly grateful. However, I think social media and what we see on a screen or on first impression can often overlooks the struggles we face. Over the past week, I've reflected a lot because the last eight weeks have been quite up and down. I want to share this in the hope that it might help someone else in a similar position—whether they're adapting to a new country and culture or considering such a significant move, or perhaps they know someone who they can check in on.

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When I was planning my move last year, my biggest worries were about my career, finding a job, the prospect of starting a business, meeting professionals, and building a network. I had an established network in the UK that I spent years building, and replicating that in a new country seemed daunting. The thought of learning Hungarian also troubled me—it's a difficult language as you've read in many of my posts. Adapting to everyday things such as the local currency, the Hungarian forint, compared to the British pound, was another concern.

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Despite these worries, I moved with the bigger picture goal in mind. I adapted to many things quite well. My work started within two weeks of arriving in Hungary, and I built my professional network very quickly. Today, I'm fully booked with amazing students, working with three fantastic schools, and I'm incredibly overjoyed with my professional achievements so far.

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So, I want to be really open and vulnerable, sharing my feelings for those who can relate and for anyone planning a similar move. It's crucial to consider the social aspects of life, not just the professional ones.

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For example, when I was in Manchester, I lived with my best friend, Emma, for a full year while managing a long-distance relationship. What an incredible year filled with love, laughter and a cute little dog called Simba - they were my family (and still are!). I was in a job where I had known colleagues for up to four years. My close university friends were living close in Manchester and Leeds, so I had plans almost every weekend, from going out for cocktails to meeting for cake and tea or going for a run around MediaCity. I hosted numerous get-togethers and events as well as girls' picnics and themed parties. Looking back, I realise I was incredibly luckily and that I made the effort to fill my social life - it came so naturally to me!.

 

Don't get me wrong, I've met some amazing people here and made some really good friends. If they're reading this, I thank them so much for helping me settle in. However, I'm still getting used to the fact that it's different from what I'm accustomed to, and it's taken a toll on my confidence and emotional wellbeing. My mind has been confused lately, trying to make sense of why I've felt a bit lower, lowest than I've been in a very very long time. I've come to the conclusion I need to accept that I'm still settling and adapting, and to not be afraid to talk to others about it.

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It's only been seven months since I moved here, and the last three months have been more focused on work because of how fast things have happened. A single Facebook video I shared in April gained a lot of interest in my business, leading to work with various people and schools overnight. This has been a great distraction for eight weeks, but now that things are starting to settle and routine is setting in, I've had more time to think about the challenges I need to address over the summer.

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A friend gave me some valuable advice: I should make sure I have nice things to look forward to. This could include: - plans around the neighbourhood, joining a class or a club = DONE ✅ an expat pilates club 🤸🏻‍♀️

- booking my next holiday to travel with a friend = DONE ✅ Barcelona to visit a friend, France with the besties, Italy roadtrip ✈️ 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🚙

- suggesting to my loved ones back in the UK to visit my new home = DONE ✅ First family visit to see me in August, Work from Budapest week with a friend, Sziget Festival to see our favourite artist of all time, Raye, with Emma 🎵

- Dinner, brunch, hikes, nice things with my new friends! = DONE ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

 

It's also important to take some time to reflect, journal, and think about this experience. That's what I'm doing right now with this blog—sharing my thoughts and feelings lately and trying to make sense of it all!

I've also been considering starting a podcast blog, or maybe doing some small chats with some of my students or coaches, so that you can also listen to me and get to know me more through the sound of my voice. Perhaps that will be a future project.

 

I'm always up for ideas, so feel free to message me, email me, or drop me a line if you've got any suggestions or recommendations. Even if you just enjoy these blogs, it would be great to hear from you.

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By putting more of myself into my business, people can get to know me better, whether they want to work with me in the future or are already working with me now. It also allows me to push the message of how important it is to feel confident in whatever you do, and that we all have ups and downs. It's okay to experience this; it's all a learning curve. Deep down, we all have the confidence to make the leap, learn something new, and push ourselves out of the comfort zone. This is my story of how I'm trying to feel more confident in my new place, help others and keep moving forward from here.

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On a sidenote, I've started voice-noting my blogs, so they're coming directly from me in the moment, rather than typing everything out, which takes much longer. This is inspired by another student who has taught me the value of AI. It's really cool (and scary!).

 

Thanks for reading.

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Bye, Alice.