Where we Hang Out

At the start of my life in Spain back in '91, I thought I should choose an area where I perhaps would blend in easier with all the other foreigners, it wasn't that I didn't want to immerse with the Spanish and their wonderful culture - only I didn't know how in those days.

So the initial attraction for me needed to include firstly, strategic location (near main road, airport etc), lots of English speaking people (until I learnt the lingo), lots going on (a busy town rather than a sleepy village), coastal (I wanted to be able to walk to the beach) and lots happening (sports, nightlife etc.). No wonder then that we selected Marbella as a starting point as it has all the above and much more to offer.

The Start

Marbs

I never thought I’d end up where I am today. Despite growing up in the most populated US state, I was actually quite a quiet girl who would sometimes just sit by the window, dreaming of a life far from America for some reason. I wasn’t unhappy, but I knew deep down that there was something different out there for me than what others were content with in Brea. I just didn’t know how I’d ever find out where.

When I was 15 however, my Dad needed to temporarily relocate to Europe for business and I thought this could be the dream I had in mind and the place I imagined might change everything for me so I went with him. The business was in Madrid and involved visiting Marbella a few times and we liked it so much we frequently returned over the next few years.

With those amazing memories I decided as soon as I was old enough to live there on my own I would. I had no real connections, limited Spanish, and only enough money saved from working in my aunt’s shop to survive a couple of months but this was not going to stop me. My family thought I was crazy, and honestly, maybe I was, but I packed my bags and left California, determined to start a new life in Andalucía, Spain.

I never thought I’d end up where I am today. Despite growing up in the most populated US state, I was actually quite a quiet girl who would sometimes just sit by the window, dreaming of a life far from America for some reason. I wasn’t unhappy, but I knew deep down that there was something different out there for me than what others were content with in Brea. I just didn’t know how I’d ever find out where.

I started in Malaga and was surprised as it wasn't now as big or fast as I had imagined, but quickly decided to head to Marbella where I felt more familiar. I took any job I could find—waitressing, cleaning apartments, you name it. I worked long hours, barely sleeping, but I refused to give up. I would watch the Spanish girls walking down the streets in their glamorous flamenco dresses, wondering if I’d ever get a chance to be in their group.

Then, by some twist of fate, everything changed one random afternoon. I was working at a tiny café in the back streets of the old town when a photographer stopped me as I was just leaving my shift. He complimented my looks (which took with a pinch of salt and just smiled politely), but he said I had “something different”. Knowing what he had to say may at minimum be useful knowledge for the future, I thought I'd hear him out. Some of what he said sounded a bit smarmy, but eventually he asked if I’d ever considered modelling, and I nearly laughed. Me? Timid me, a model? That felt unlikely… but something in his eyes told me he was serious, so I agreed to meet him for a free casual shoot on the beach by the castle in Fuengirola after he’d finished a family shoot there.

I got there early and studied him as he created what I could see were going to be amazing shots and he was even turning the family’s quick trip to the beach into a kind of story, that did impress me I must admit. Then came my turn, which was totally nerve-wracking at first, especially as everyone on the beach and in the bars & restaurants were staring at me! However he said “just be yourself, relax, enjoy the sunset” and pow, I suddenly felt something shift inside me - like I was stepping into a version of myself I didn’t even know existed, the wolf whistling from some rowdy football hooligans went quiet even though I could see they were still doing it, like a trance I just did my own thing and everything else around me was a blur.

Of course I had no idea how good (or bad) the results were going to be, but the photographer asked if he could send a few of my pictures to an agency friend of his, and before I knew it, I was getting booked for work as an extra. Nothing major, but it was a start.

The work was turning into direct shoots for commercial advertising and a while later I started a myspace page, mostly just to document my journey. I posted about my photoshoots, my daily struggles, the homesickness that would sometimes hit me hard. I didn’t have a big following, but those who did follow me seemed to connect with my story. I was just a girl trying to make it in on a different continent, and I wasn’t hiding the challenges. I think that’s what drew people in.

Slowly, my modelling career began to grow. I started getting better & better jobs, working with up-and-coming designers (and was even booking a few fashion weeks), but it wasn’t just the modelling that took off, my myspace page started blowing up too. I realised that people were interested in more than just the polished photos. They wanted to know the real me: the girl who was hustling hard, figuring things out as I went, and trying to stay true to herself in an industry that often pushed you to be someone else. That’s when I decided to take being an influencer (although back then it wasn't called that lol and it involved face-to-face work), but I didn’t want to be like the others who only posted perfect, unattainable images. I wanted to build something real, so I started giving advice to girls who asked me how I kept going when things got tough, and even started hosting bar meets where we’d talk about everything from fashion to mental health.

It wasn’t long before brands started reaching out to me, asking me to represent them not just as a model but as someone who they saw had genuinely influenced some people. It felt surreal sometimes, working with companies I previously dreamed about when I was waitressing… but what made me the happiest was knowing that my success appeared rooted, authentic and was enjoying sharing my story with the world.

I look back now (and could/will tell you some great and some shocking stories that happened along the way) and I realise that - I know what it’s like to have felt lost, to be far from home, chasing something that seems out of reach, but I learned that with hard work, staying true to yourself, embracing the journey no matter how difficult it is (and with a little luck meeting the photographer), you can build something incredible. So here I am, still that girl from California at heart, but now I’m living the dream travelling the globe. Living proof that no matter where you come from, success is within reach if you’re willing to fight for it

My life in Europe and especially Marbella has become more than just a dream come true, it’s a testament to the power of resilience and being unafraid to go after what you truly want and I truly love it here. I do frequent the States and “no”, I don’t see it as ‘fake’ as many accuse it of being there… but I definitely feel more at home in Marbs and I wouldn't change it for anywhere else.