I moved to Barcelona, by myself, in January 2012 and lived there for seven months. It was the first time I had lived outside of the UK – my home – and deeply experienced a new culture. Despite having visited the country a few times before, living in Spain was an entirely different scenario. I was faced with the challenge of adopting a new way of thinking, and it was simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking.

At the time, I had no idea how much Spain would change the course of my life; I’ve traveled the world and lived nomadically ever since. Barcelona paved the way for that. Locals are masters of the slow life, and living there taught me a lot about the importance of balance, self-care, and simplicity – essential items for life on the road.

I’m sharing the five biggest lessons the country taught me, below.