YOUR guide to my life...

Hey there,

My name is Fiona, or ‘Wee Fi’ if we’re close. (I’m 5'1)

Here’s the story. I come to you with a classic tale of confused identity, impostor syndrome and an extremely busy, creative mind.

It’s hilarious that I feel the need to tell you this even when you can’t hear me but I am accustomed to explaining my accent and where I’m from so here you go:

My parents, both born and bred in Paisley, Scotland (they were childhood sweethearts), moved to Crystal Lake, Chicago, Illinois in January 1994 with my sister (7) and brother (6) for a project my dad was working on. This period is fondly referred to as ‘BF’ (Before Fiona) because not too long after moving across the Atlantic, on the 29th October 1994, a new and final member of our core family was born, ME!

My family moved back to the UK in 1996 and I spent most of my upbringing in North Wales and the English county of Shropshire with a heavy influence from my family up in Scotland. I finally moved up to Lanarkshire/Glasgow to study Musical Theatre and start living my 20’s from 2014-2020. This has resulted in a slightly strange, neutral, trans-Atlantic accent. I’ve heard every country under the sun when people try to guess, however this has been especially amplified as a huge part of who I am when I moved to Spain in October 2020.

Now, having lived in Valencia, Spain for almost 3 years and working in the tourism industry, meeting people from all over the world, it’s become second nature to explain my background. However, the sting never weakens when I get the “you don’t sound Scottish!” which is really where I feel I’m from.

So there you have it. Wherever I’m from I have planted myself in the most magical city in the world, Valencia. First of all, in this blog I will encourage you many times to visit or live here, so get used to it! I have just bought a flat here with my boyfriend and I am on cloud nine and so grateful I’ve been able to achieve this and beyond excited to live out my dreams here.

I invite you all to weave in and out of the workings of my mind and follow my journey here in this incredible city. I’m here to give advice and tips about everything Valencia, Spanish culture, and living as a young woman in a different country. I have many thoughts and even more opinions! So, let’s go!