1. I moved to Seville in an attempt to save my relationship with my ex-boyfriend.
While we were preparing our move to Spain, to start over as a couple, there were several rumours of him cheating with someone I knew. I wasn’t ready to face the truth at the time and only finally started dealing with the trust issues I developed as a result during my healing journey for my self-help book “Issues & Tissues”.
2. The weirdest comment I got from people in Seville visiting my home and meeting my pet rabbit was: “When are you planning on eating it?”I’d bought a rabbit years before with my ex, before moving to Spain, because we both loved dogs and wanted a pet which wasn’t as much of a responsibility. So I took bunny with me on the plane from The Netherlands to Seville (which is a story in itself!) but quickly learnt that having a rabbit as a pet in that part of Spain was something of an enigma. “When are you going to eat your rabbit?” or “Wow, that looks like a great rabbit for Christmas!” were one of the many comments I had!
3. Learning languages has been my natural instinct from an early age.I remember an introduction day for my high school where you could try out several classes and, almost everyone except me, chose to go to Music or Arts class. I was intrigued to learn new languages because I felt it opened up a whole new world of opportunity. I chose French and couldn’t wait to learn to speak a language other than my mother tongue, Dutch. I’ve been adding English, Spanish, French and German to my curriculum and hope to continue learning more.
4. I gave up my corporate job at a language training company without knowing what I was going to do next.I’ve always had a strong sense of following my gut when it comes to making decisions and when I felt it was time to quit my job at a company in Amsterdam, I just did it! My colleagues were shocked and presumed I already had a new job lined up. However, I truly had no clue where I was going to work and what I was going to do, but just felt it was the right time for me to leave. The moment I quit my job I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom and booked a solo flight to South Africa.
5. My husband and I met online via Tinder while he was working on a luxury yacht as a captain in Mallorca and I was running my own events company on Ibiza.Dating someone on a different island made our decision to move in together somewhat easier. Within 4 months he quit his career of almost 20 years and moved in with me on Ibiza. There was no plan, it didn’t make any sense, but it just felt right. From the moment we first met at the airport on Ibiza eight years ago, we both knew this was true love and had an instant connection that has been growing ever since.
6. Moving back to Ibiza with my husband and daughter after many years of searching for a home base has been my biggest achievement so far.The moment we found out we were expecting our daughter, we’ve been on a search to find the best base for our family. This journey has taken us to many different countries in Europe (Spain, Sweden, France, Italy and The Netherlands) as well as further afield in Dubai, Thailand and Bali. It turned out to be a great journey full with adventures which I am currently using for my second book.
7. I never make plans anymore and just go with the flowWhat I’ve learnt from years of travelling and living in different countries is that the memories you make while immersing yourself in new cultures and languages is the best investment you can make. The time you spend with your loved ones is priceless, so I’ve developed a method in order to keep focused on what matters most. Time is the most valuable asset you have and that is why I choose to enjoy every day as if it were my last!
The book Issues For Tissues By Esther Ibiza is out now.
Paperback £25|Ebook £13 Available exclusively from www.estheribiza.com
Esther Ibiza has written her first book “Issues & Tissues” to help and inspire others to start living their dream life. In the first part of the book she describes 7 issues (trust, acceptance, forgiveness, communication, pleasing people, commitment and focus) that she’s had to deal with in her life and takes the reader on a self discovery journey in the second part of the book. You can scan the 7 audio chapters via QR-codes, which will help the reader start sensing which issues might be currently dominating his/her life at the moment. The third part of the book includes Esther’s personal method to stay focused on her own path in life and invites the reader to create rituals and reminders to start living their dream life as well.
‘It doesn’t need to make sense, it just needs to feel right.’ The focus of the Esther Ibiza Method is lifestyle and its effect on mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
We have all gone through difficult situations but for some reason there is sometimes a reluctance to share these experiences with other people. More often than not it is because it’s something we feel ashamed or afraid of, preventing us from sharing openly and honestly how we feel. The more we try to hide our feelings, the more we close ourselves off from our true potential. Making your issues a point of focus and creating healthy daily habits enables you to feel more comfortable with the unexpected turns life can take.
Creating daily rituals and reminders has helped Esther move forward in life with more compassion for both herself and others. Practicing them has had a huge impact on her wellbeing and she is passionate about sharing this knowledge in order to help other people on their own journey.
About the Author:
Born in the Netherlands, Esther has always had a strong desire to discover the world. She is multilingual and speaks Spanish, English, some French and German, and Dutch - her mother tongue. With her husband and young daughter, she is currently travelling the world and over the last couple of years has lived in Dubai, Bali, Thailand as well as France, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Issues and Tissues is her first book.
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