Tribute to my mum - International Women's Day

On a day like today, I want to dedicate a few words to the woman that has inspired me the most in my life: My mum. She met my beloved father in college in 1961, she finished her degree in Economics, relocated to the South of Spain , got married and raised 5 daughters. Back then, it was not that common to have women with a bachelor degree and working in an office. Women like her fought for women's equality rights in the workplace. Bringing up 5 children and having a full-time job at the same time was not easy. My father was a politician and as a lawyer in a very small town, humble people paid him at times with kilos of oranges or potatoes. My mum was the one with the stable monthly income and our family relied on her salary for main day-to-day expenses. Being busy at work did not allow her to spend as much time with her daughters as she would have liked but she always made sure that we had everything that we needed. My grandfather used to say that my mum was very strong. Life has tested that strength repeatedly. Only a few months after her husband died, his dad also lost his battle to cancer. My grandfather's death was so sudden and unexpected that it did not help my mum to cope with the painful recent death of her husband. Spite of it all, she was able to overcome those difficult times, I have always been blown away by her resilience and inner strength. Me, on the other side, after my father passed away, I felt a strong need to start a new life abroad, away from all the memories. I applied for an Erasmus scholarship and I emigrated to Munich (Germany). A new life in a complete different country with a language i did not speak. I was very young and inexperienced. My mum supported me from the beginning financially and I was able to finish successfully my last year in college there. Living far away from my mum, has brought us closer in a very special way. From the moment I started to have my own salary I wanted to pay her back everything she has done for me, going on a trip with her every year. We have been travelling around since 2006: From Vienna ( Austria), Scotland ( UK), Berlin, Ireland (a few times), Bath (UK), Bournemouth (UK), Liverpool (UK), Brussels, Prague,Budapest to Singapore. Every trip is a collection of unique memories that will always stay with me. 

Do you have a woman in your life that is important to you?  Celebrate it with her today!   Happy International Women's Day !

My mum and I in Budapest.

Photo of me with my beloved grandmother, another important woman in my life. She taught me how to be firm and respect others. I love you Grandma, I hope to see you again one day.

Photo of my parents in College.

Photo of my grandmother and my mum