My Way Back to Wales: Emilia’s Story 

My name is Emilia, and my connection to Wales began long before I returned here as an adult. 

In the years before moving to Wales, my life was divided between the UK and Mexico. I was completing a PhD at Oxford, but my research was based in Mexico, so I travelled back regularly for fieldwork. My partner was also living there, working for a public agency, and for a long time we lived apart. About a year and a half before coming to Wales, I decided to finish my thesis from Mexico so we could be together, but I always knew I wanted to return to the UK. At the same time, my partner was considering a second master’s degree in data science, so we began thinking seriously about moving. 

When I saw an advert for a teaching post at an international school in Wales, it immediately felt significant. It was the same school where my UK story had started. I first came to Wales when I was 16 on a full scholarship. The school brings students from around 80 countries together, and at the time it was largely scholarship-based. Although I had visited the UK as a child, Wales was the first place where I truly lived here and grew attached to the country. Ever since then, I have kept returning. 

So the chance to come back and teach at the same school felt like closing a circle. The timing worked too. My partner applied to Cardiff University, was accepted, and we decided to make Wales our next home. 

I was born in Michoacán, southwest of Mexico City. When I was nine, we moved to Mexico City. My early life was shaped by a large, close family. My mum had five siblings, and my sister and I were the oldest children in our generation, which meant we grew up surrounded by adults and attention. My grandparents were migrants, and their home was always open. People came and went constantly, sharing food, stories and time. My grandmother had an extraordinary ability to talk to strangers and turn them into friends, something that left a deep impression on me. 

In Mexico City we lived in a place that had once been a commune. Created in the 1970s by a group of friends, it remained communal in spirit even as people formed families. I grew up surrounded by other children, shared spaces and shared projects. Even as I moved countries for study and work, that place stayed my anchor. It was also a quiet oasis inside one of the world’s largest and busiest cities. 

Returning to Wales as an adult has been a very particular experience because I live on the school campus. It is beautiful, but also quite separate from everyday Welsh life. During term time, life is so busy that I can go weeks without leaving. In that sense, I live in Wales, but also within an international bubble. 

What has helped me feel more connected is the community outreach work linked to the school. Building relationships with local people and understanding who lives nearby has made a real difference. There are teachers who have been here for years and have built strong links with the surrounding community, and learning from them has helped me understand the place beyond the campus. 

I have also connected to Wales through experiences like attending Black History Month events with students and working with Ukrainian families settled locally. These moments have been meaningful, offering insight into Wales’s aspiration to be a Nation of Sanctuary. At the same time, I am aware that I have only engaged with a small part of Welsh life, as much of my focus remains on the school. 

Coming back after 20 years, I have noticed how much Wales has changed. The Welsh language, in particular, feels more visible and central than when I was a student. Being away and returning makes those changes clearer, and it has been interesting to witness a nation evolving. 

Like any move, this one has had challenges. Migration always involves loss, rebuilding, and redefining yourself. I have moved many times, so in some ways it becomes easier, but there are always things left behind. Living in a rural setting and dealing with the weather can also feel isolating. 

One of my favourite memories in Wales recently was travelling to St Davids for a school camp. It was a chance to see another part of the country and to connect with Wales outside academic life. We spent time in the sea coasteering, and it helped me feel closer to the place. Spending time with Ukrainian families locally has also been a highlight, building friendships beyond the school and creating a sense of shared community. 

What do I miss most about Mexico? The sun. I love real heat and long days, and I find the early winter sunsets here difficult. We have started cooking Mexican food at home and ordering ingredients like tortillas, which helps bring a sense of home into everyday life. 

I came to Wales while finishing my PhD, and my immediate goal is to publish and return to academia. I am also enjoying working with young people, so I keep my plans flexible. Academia often requires moving where opportunities arise, and perhaps that will be Wales. 

At the school, I teach Theory of Knowledge, which focuses on critical thinking and how knowledge is built across different disciplines. I also teach System Transformation Pathways, a project-based course that helps students engage with complex global challenges and reflect on how change happens. 

If there is one thing I would like people to understand, it is that people come to a country for many reasons, and they bring skills, care and goodwill with them. Contributions are often made quietly and locally, but they matter. 

My relationship with the UK began here in Wales, and whatever the future holds, Wales will always be an important part of my life.