🌙 Why Aim to the Moon: between expatriation, doubts and dreams

This blog isn't a perfect guide. Nor is it a smooth postcard of life in the sun. It's my travel diary. With its rays of light... and its shadows too.

My name is Rachel. I grew up in Belgium, lived in France, packed and unpacked my suitcases more times than I can count, and finally settled in Spain. In the meantime, I've had a thousand ideas: opening a flower shop (a short but intense experience), working in big companies (and feeling cramped), opening a bed and breakfast (a success... until life pushed me elsewhere). And then, I have these damn tremors, which make it difficult to "fit into a box" professionally.

So, I decided to create my own box.

🌍 Spain: between sun and shadows

When you think of Spain, you imagine tapas, sangria, village festivals, and sunshine. And it's true: it has all of that.

But there are also shadows .

• The distance from family and this feeling of isolation, even when you know people here.

• Silly things, like not being able to find certain "simple" products that we used to buy without thinking.

• The day an electrician scammed us out of €1,200.

• Income shock: yes, there are good salaries in big cities, but close to the "campo" it's more difficult, and there are little or no transport costs, among other things.

• Spanish tax regulations, deadlines, incomprehensible paperwork.

• And then there's the language: learning Valencian (compulsory at school), understanding the subtleties, is also a challenge, even if you speak French and Castellano.

In short, Spain isn't just Instagram postcards. It's a mix of bright light and sometimes heavy shadows. And I want to share both, because that's what real expat life is all about, and those days when you wonder, "Did I make the right choice?"

Spain has two sides: the bright and the dark. And I want to be honest: I've learned to walk between the two.

✨ Aim to the Moon: a dream transformed into creation

Aim to the Moon was born from a slightly crazy dream: that of a cozy open-air café, where we would share large pots in winter, with second-hand furniture and laughter at the table. A place where people, especially the loneliest, would feel welcome. But life brought me back to reality: no suitable place, (no parking, no kitchen) nothing that was being put in place. So, I had to rethink my path. I thought I would "coach." Who better than a dreamer to help others achieve their dreams. But I felt illegitimate; not from my experience, but rather: "who am I to claim that!"

Today, Aim to the Moon takes another beloved form with always this dream at the end, but let's be down to earth, I have to earn my living here So for the moment it is not yet La guinguette, but it is always and remains a project that wants to bring people closer to their dreams and their desires. Through my creations, and especially my vision boards, I help everyone to put their desires in black and white, to project themselves and to believe in them. Because even if I have to stay down to earth, I continue to aim for the moon.

So here it is

It will be a creative studio .

Here I create:

• souvenir magnets (inspired by the towns and villages I have become attached to, my travels, art, azulejos, decoration),

• personalized tote bags and t-shirts , or my own creations.

• magnetic and evolving vision boards , because I firmly believe that all dreams are achievable, and what better than magnets to "attract" your dreams to you!

• and tailor-made creations, for events, fans, individuals and professionals.

Each piece is a mixture: a little bit of me, a little bit of my journey, a lot of my desire to go further.

🖋️ What you will find here

This blog will be a mix of:

• Expat life : the joys, the struggles, the surprises (and there were many).

• Creativity : how I transform an idea into a product, why I choose certain materials or styles.

• Reflections : because expatriating your life also means expatriating your certainties and creating new ones.

I will talk about the beautiful, but also the less beautiful. Because I believe that honesty is more inspiring than glitter.

🌙 What now?

I don't know where this path will lead me, but I choose to share it. Perhaps one day, you who are reading this will hesitate to cross a border, to launch your project, to change your life. If so, perhaps you will find here an echo of your own doubts and your own dreams.

After all... aim for the moon, even if you fall, you'll still land among the stars ✨.