20 READERS SHARE WHAT MAKES GIBRALTAR 'HOME' FOR THEM.

Tuesday 23 January 2018

A few weeks ago one of my friends challenged me to name 10 great things about living in Gibraltar  (here are 25) besides the weather. This question came about because before going to university, I, along with a lot of my generation dreamed about escaping further afield and broadening my horizons. As my last few months of uni grew closer, I was anxious about moving back to Gibraltar and going back to living in a 'bubble' and losing a bit of my independence by going back to living at home. To my surprise, it hasn't actually been that bad. I think I've pretty much partied enough at uni to make up for the rest of my 20s and I quite enjoy the constant supply of vitamin D, even in January. So I reached out to you guys to tell me what makes Gibraltar home for you, and here is what you came up with. 

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1. "The short commute to work is great, and so is my mama's cooking (these two things were sorely missed when I was living in London), but what makes Gibraltar home for me is the fact that I am always surrounded by familiar people and places. It's hard to feel lonely when many members of your family and most of your oldest friends live nearby. It's also practically impossible to get lost in Gibraltar when you've grown up here (and I have a tendency to get lost - a lot...). I have some kind of memory and story to tell about every nook and cranny - that's what sets this place apart from everywhere else that I've lived and that's what makes it home!" - Jo, 26

2. "There are so many things that make Gib feel like home but for me it’s the pure happiness in my heart when I’m walking down town on a sunny day with a Sun Cola in my hand wearing my best shankas, waving goodbye to my third cousin’s wife’s neighbour!" - Rachel, 23

3."2 sets of families living in a 3 mile radius, interconnecting generations of families together. A sense of homeliness you don’t get many places globally." - Unknown, 23

4. "Home is where my dogs are!" - Daniella, 21

5. "What I enjoy about living in Gibraltar is that I can go out by myself on a Friday night, and still find people I know out and end up having a brilliant night and coming home at 4am." - Paul, 24

6. "What makes Gibraltar home for me, or more what I love about Gibraltarians is that wherever you go in the world you're bound to find someone from there who's ready to welcome you with open arms if need be. " - Amy, 23

7."Living in Gibraltar has its pros and cons like any place, even though my life gets pretty monotonous in the winter I like that in the summer it's like living in a very tame Ibiza, and for the quieter weekends you can be enjoying yourself in Spain or Morocco within a matter of hours" - James, 24

8. "Family!" - Tristan, 20

9. "Lifestyle.Family.Climate.Culture. Proximity to every important aspect of living: education/health services, social life, work, international transport links/hub, regional attractions and choice." - Bill, 53

10. "What makes Gibraltar home for me is everything so close by. Families and friends within 20 minutes from you and don’t forget takeaways aswell . It makes everything feel cosy and even being away from Gib for 2 weeks in the UK just reminds me of how much I enjoy everything being walking distance, as I do not enjoy having to get on a tube and walk 15 minutes to find a Nandos!" - Sadie, 17

11. "The sun cola, Bruno’s and cocktail sauce" - Sandra, 22

12. "I love the summer time so it’s perrfect in the sense that You have 6 beaches which are all two minutes from your house" - Jess, 23

13. "For me it's the sense of community and warmness (not just the weather) - even if I had no immediate family here, I feel like I could feel at home with friends or other people in the community. " - Sam, 28

14. "Having the freedom of going back and forth from Gibraltar to Spain, whether it be a quick trip to Carrefour or going for Sunday lunch to a Venta with a beautiful view of the coast." - Christina, 23 

15. "Definitely the food! You can’t get Bollo Ramsons or good jamón serrano when you’re away in the UK, and there’s only so much that will fit in the suitcase. " - Gabby, 23

16. "When you walk into town and by the time you've walked from the ICC to Trafalgar Pharmacy you've already seen 3 family members and 5 people you've gone to school with. But the best has to be having a Ramsons tika roll never more than an hour away from you (thank you Hungry Monkey)" - Stacey, 23

17. "The diversity we all have in common yet combine as one big hudge family. Wherever you go in the world, coming across a local face will always remind me you can leave the rock but familiarity breeds content meaning I'll always be happy to see my fellow Gibos wherever you are in the world." - Demi, 22

18. "That when you get home from a trip you can be home in 10 minutes as opposed to catching a train, overpriced taxi or bus to your house. Keeping with transportation, the fact that my car barely gets used because we get free public transport!" - Aimee, 25 

19. "That I can go out with £20 and buy 3 JD & cokes, 3 shots of sambuca and entry to Dusk, whereas in London that would buy me 1 long island ice tea."  - Jack, 22

20. "I enjoy being able to have all of the freedom of my bike and knowing everywhere and everyone. And Bruno's happy hour" - Georgina, 23

For me, it's that I can go for drinks with friends and not have to worry about catching the last bus/tube home. That I can roll out of bed at 8:15am and make it in time for 9 o clock (and grab a Costa). That if I'm locked out of my house at 3 in the morning there are plenty of people who will let me crash at theirs. Finally, that I can eat torta acerga every day if I so wish to, a part from this month, because I'm trying not to fail at Veganuary.

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If you're reading this from Gibraltar, what makes Gibraltar home for you? If you're not local, then I think it's time you planned a visit to see (and feel) what we're talking about! 

G





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