Whoās this?
Hello and welcome to my corner of the internet.
Iām Cristina and Iāve always loved writing, music, reading, and books. Iām also in a committed relationship with cinema too.
Iām from Tomelloso, a small town at the beating heart of La Mancha, the land that has given the world Manchego cheese and inspired Cervantes to write Don Quixote. In fact, rumour has it that Argamasilla de Alba is where Cervantes started writing his famous novel while he was incarcerated for having made a pass at the mayorās daughter. Or at least thatās what I wrote about when I was 12 for a writing contest about Cervantes held at the former prison, now the townās local library. I won in case you wondered.
Iāve lived abroad for half of my life now and for the past 15 years Iāve called London home, where I landed after having spent a few years between Italy and the US in a mix of study and work. I speak Spanish, English, Italian and French (I want to become fluent in 2025; donāt say good luck, say bonne chance)
In London I promote the vibrant creative technology ecosystem of the city to international companies looking to set up here. This means I get to witness first-hand some of the most mind-blowing developments and applications of artificial intelligence across film, visual effects, fashion, music, advertising or games, which is both highly exciting and a bit scary.
Why Abroad?
Many people start their newsletters with a clear definition of what the reader will find if they decide to stick around.
So hereās a definition that I hope may help.
Abroad
/ÉĖbrÉĖd/
Adverb
in or to a foreign country or countries.
in different directions; over a wide area.
This publication is therefore a home for those wandering thoughts, ideas and reflections that cross my mind at racing speed but didnāt until now had a fixed place to go. Same as me for many years.
Like many before me I dreamed of being a writer one day but for reasons that are too long to explain I put that aside only to realise that passions, like dormant volcanos, will eventually find a way to erupt violently when you least expect them.
The urge to put my thoughts into paper -or on the screen- has never disappeared and in 2023 I finally gave myself permission to have a go at it. That year a piece that I wrote was shortlisted for the Evening Standard Short Stories competition.
The piece was called Abroad and I thought that was my sign to get back to writing.
I believe that itās never too late to start doing what you really are passionate about. I guess being aware of our own death does wonders to put things into perspective and focus on what matters to us before itās too late to pursue what truly makes us happy.
Things to expect from Abroad
Reflections on being an introvert in an extrovertsā world.
People struggle to believe it but I really am. Thatās probably why you wonāt get to see my face often here, but Iāve changed my profile picture for an illustration with a woman. Thatās something. After years of beating myself up for not being like everyone else, Iāve finally learned to embrace who I am and itās been quite liberating.
Humour, irony, sarcasm
At least I hope it comes across that way and not just as standoffish awkwardness. I can always argue English is not my native language if a joke goes terribly wrong or a text fails to deliver its intended comic effect. However you should know from the start that Iām the kind of person who laughs at her own jokes and usually has more fun inside my head than with people, which means I donāt have much feedback to rely on other than my own. Letās see how that plays out here.
My love for books (and reading)
I often say I like reading but lately Iāve come to the realisation that I may actually love books more than reading but both have played an important part in my life. My dream would be to own a house big enough to have proper library where I could spend days on end just observing my shelves. And doing a bit of reading.
Tech talk. Yes, that includes AI but also how technology is changing our lives
It wonāt be the dominat content, but itāll make an appearance every now and then. If you are interested in these topics, I write another newsletter where I talk about technology and creative industries
Cultural differences, identity, belonging
I come from a tiny place of 7,000 people where I never felt I belonged. Since a young age I felt a strong curiosity for other cultures and places, no doubt inspired by the books I read at the time and the stories they told as everyone in my family is from the same place and no one had ever lived abroad before I did. I have now spend 20 years abroad and lived in Spain, Italy, and the US before calling London home. And with my sister living in France for over a decade Iāve been fortunate to visit the country quite a few times.
The latest movie/actor/director Iām obsessed with
For 13 years I ignored cinemas existed in London. Now I go almost every week and watch a ridiculous amount of films. My newfound love for cinema has been a great way to open my mind to the different ways a story can be told and Iām particularly interested in the creative process of directors and actors to bring a story or character to life. I find visually storytelling a fascinating complement for writers.
A love for languages and linguistic observations. I speak Spanish, Italian, English and French (au moins jāessaie) - All invariably with an accent, not always the one youād expect.
A (tough) love for London and the highs and lows of living here
Like young Willy Wonka I believe that āin this city, anyone can be successful if they've talent and work hard, or so they say. But they didn't mention it would be so stressful just to make a dozen silver sovereigns last more than a day.ā
Beside stand alone pieces on the above you can also expect two regular sections:
A Week in the Life - an overview of every day life in London, bringing all the different topics of Abroad together as I reflect on life as a foreigner in a global city from both a personal and professional point of view.
The Culture Fix - a round-up of the books, music, films, articles, and more that Iāve been enjoying lately. I love sharing these tidbits and Iāve discovered so many new favourite artists/music/films/books/places/authors thanks to what other people genuinely love and share.
Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy reading Abroad.
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Living abroad is not compulsory.
Explore Abroad
Abroad is independent publication about London, living in between cultures, languages, books, music, films, creativity, and being human in the age of artificial intelligence.
