When a Spaniard decided to pack up her life and move to Dublin, she certainly raised eyebrows.
Claudia Sebastian wanted to find better job opportunities in Ireland. She hoped it would be a lot more lucrative than staying in Spain – but locals couldn’t get their head around the move.
In a candid TikTok video, she explained: “I moved to Dublin because of the money… I came to look for a job because there are more opportunities here and better pay.”
However, she admitted the Irish often find it hard to understand why someone would leave a country like Spain. Unsurprising, given that 2.5 million of pay to visit the Iberian country every year.
Claudia revealed one response that makes her feel irritated at times. She said: “For them, it is completely unthinkable to give up a country with a wonderful culture, people and climate for a grey and dirty city. That makes me a bit angry because it makes me realise that they see Spain as the country of cheap coffee and beer, where people are always happy and enjoying themselves, without considering the difficulties we face every day.”
Claudia believes that many lack awareness of how some locals are struggling in Spain, which is one of the reasons there have been plenty of anti-tourist protests in the country this year. She continued: “Living here has made me realise that the culture of effort and sacrifice that we have in Spain is based on a completely precarious country, where being able to save is a luxury.
“Thanks to [moving], I have been able to understand this culture and my own, and that has made me realise how lucky I am for all the things I have… They dream of emigrating to Australia, and I dream of returning to my country with a salary that allows me to live and not only survive.”
Dozens of Spaniards who have migrated away from the country could relate to Claudia’s video – and took to the comments section to leave their thoughts. One wrote: “I always tell this to my colleagues (I live in the UK) and they have a very unreal perspective of what Spain is.”
Another said: “They don’t know the deplorable living conditions we left behind.” And a third added: “Thank you for talking about this topic that makes many people uncomfortable but it is important to recognise that it is a big part of our lives. I wish you all the best in Ireland.”
However, others disagreed with her. One responder pointed out: “You don’t earn as much in Ireland in relation to the cost of living, plus the quality of life is better in Spain.” And a second said: “You are speaking clearly from your experience but the reality of the Irish is not like that. Yes, in Ireland money is a problem.”
So what do you make of Claudia’s video? Let us know in the comments section below.