Opportunities arrive when you less expect them!

Three months after having decided to leave Spain and follow love, she wakes up one morning, in a foreign country, where she did not understand or could speak the language, where she did not know anyone, where she felt betrayed. She would try to ignore her broken heart, find the courage to take over her life, think about a plan, and keep going. Where? She did not know yet. She would figure it out somehow on the way. How? She had no idea, but she would start from somewhere. She did not want to go back to her family and hear things like: “I have told you!” or “I was right!”.  

The first year was an amazing experience, working with kids and meeting incredible people; people that become like her own family. She would always say that there she found her second family. She felt blessed.

She was living in Germany for one year now. After having managed to learn the language so she could have at least a basic conversation with the people, she decided she wants to get a full-time job and rent her own place. She would work as a waitress. The first thing she found.

She loved it because she meant a big step for her. When you go from having almost nothing into having so much in such a short period of time, in a foreign country it felt like a dream. It was also the best way to improve her level of German even if in the beginning she will think that an ashtray was the name of a beer. Try to learn German and you will see it!

She met new people, she managed to rent a place, for herself, but something that she can call home. She managed to make friends and to start to enjoy the time there. In the end, it was not such a bad decision to give up everything she had in Spain and move to Germany. She was proud of herself. Slowly and with no help from anyone, she was able to build something by herself. Because of this, she was really enjoying work. Having that little something achieved, but for her it meant everything, it meant the whole world she had built there. One more year went by very quickly.

It was time for a change, to find something else. She had a better level of German now, so she would search for something in another area. She already started to prepare her resume and go for it: job hunt. She was happy and confident about the future. 

One day, while being at work she would help her colleagues with their tables. She had hers under control so she would give a hand. She loved working with people so the smile on her face was never missing. While serving a table that was not even hers, the two ladies seated there started talking to her. That was very random and strange, but they asked if she would be interested in changing the job and having an interview for a manager position in a clothes shop. Why these two ladies, these two completely strangers would do that? She was shocked hearing the proposal but accepted immediately. She did not have nothing to lose. She was already thinking in changing the job. 

They explained to her the reason why they decided to ask her and it was because they were observing her the whole time, how she was doing her job, how she was behaving and talking to the customers, to her colleagues, how they could notice that she was really enjoying being there and also enjoying doing her job.

If until that moment she never believed in miracles, that was one of those moments where life shows you how wrong can you be. 

She went to the interview, extremely excited, and tell them about her story and previous experience. And guess what? She got the job! She was not even able to speak German properly and she got the job. She was just for two years in Germany and she got a job in this position. Hard to believe!

Even if she had doubts, (we can be our worst enemy) she accepted the job. She took that risk. No risk no fun she would say. At that moment, the adventure started. She would be sent for the following two weeks back to Spain, her beloved “adoptive” country to receive her training. She would visit the headquarters in Italy and participate in different events. She would get so confident and she would not regret her decision. She would come back with the right mindset and ready to conquer the world.  

In a perfect life, with perfect people, in perfect circumstances, it would have been a dream coming true. And it was, indeed. Because later, due to this position, she will have more opportunities. But we are not living in a perfect world and we, as human beings, are perfect neither. And the road was bumpy that meant a lesson for her, she learned a lot.

Some of her older colleagues would have been eager in getting that position. And they had all the right because of the experience. So, they would start plotting against her, they would start making fun of her because of the language and her accent, they would skip work just to mess up the schedule and cause her problems with the boss or they will just arrive at work and not do their job. All of this, behind her back, of course. In front of her, they will play a role. It wasn’t her fault that she was chosen for this position.

She just started to feel that this was negatively changing her, that she was not able to have free time and private life because they would call her at any time, that she was like a mama for big kids. Maybe this was also part of their game, she would never find out. And the saddest thing is that they were also foreigners like she was. Normally you should be compassionate because you share the same background, you might be having a similar story of immigrating from one country to another, but they were so selfish. People can be very mean. At that moment she realized she was not made to be in such a toxic environment. She was not like them and she didn’t want to become one of them. She would change the job one year later, time enough to gather experience and knowledge.

It was an incredible experience, a roller coaster trip!

I am here right now, remembering all this and feeling nostalgic. What an experience! The environment where you are, it does not matter if it’s at work or with friends, it can influence or even change you. It can change you a good way but also in a negative one.

A job should not suck all your life out of you. It should still allow you, from all points of view, to enjoy life and the people you have next to you.

Just by doing my job the best I could, even that it wasn’t my dream job, and trying to be the best version of myself, I received that opportunity. I was just the right person at the right moment, or I met the right people at the right moment. 

Be grateful, behave, enjoy, improve, prosper, and be the best of what you can be because you never who you will gonna meet on your path!

And what about you? What is your story?

Version in Spanish: https://journeywithmada.com/historia-nr-3/

Version in Romanian: https://journeywithmada.com/povestea-nr-2-2/