At 65, Tua Sjöblom sold her home, said goodbye to her children and grandchildren, packed two suitcases and moved from Finland to Tenerife.
No property waiting for her. No guarantee it would all work out. Just a long-held dream of escaping the Finnish winters and starting a new chapter somewhere warmer.
More than six years later, she’s still here.
From Finland to Costa del Silencio
Tua had spent years dreaming about leaving behind the cold Finnish winters. The weather caused her physical discomfort, and she had been thinking for some time about where she could live independently in a warmer climate.
After retiring, she finally decided to do it.
Spain and Turkey were both possibilities, but Tenerife won out because of the climate, safety and her previous visits to the island with her children.
She also did her homework before choosing where to live.
Tua wanted somewhere relatively quiet, with nearby services, fewer tourists and not too many hills. Anyone who has tried dragging shopping bags up some of Tenerife’s slopes will probably understand that one.
She eventually chose Costa del Silencio, in the municipality of Arona.
The First Rental Didn’t Last Long
Her move didn’t get off to the smoothest start.
Tua gave herself a month to find somewhere permanent to live, but her first rental had a problem she discovered shortly after moving in… mould.
She had to leave and find somewhere else.
Her next property was in the same complex where she still lives today, although it was expensive and had a terrace that received so little sun that neither Tua nor her plants were particularly impressed.
Eventually, neighbours told her about another apartment available in the complex.
This one had two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and, importantly, a large sunny terrace.
Turning a Flat Into a Home
The apartment wasn’t in great condition, but Tua decided to make it her own.
She painted the walls herself and brought in professionals for the electrical work. Doors and cupboards were repaired, bathroom lights replaced, and the kitchen taps and worktop were renewed.
The sunny terrace has since become one of her favourite parts of the home.
She grows chillies, raspberries, papayas, flowers and climbing plants there. Not bad for someone who left Finland with two suitcases.
Family Is Still Part of Her Life
Moving to Tenerife didn’t mean cutting ties with her family.
Tua still travels back to Finland when she finds reasonably priced flights and keeps in touch through video calls. Her daughter and grandchildren have also spent extended periods with her in Costa del Silencio.
When she is at home, she shares her life with Calvin, a dog she adopted from a shelter in Las Chafiras, and a cat that turned up one day and apparently decided it lived there.
A New Routine at 71
Now 71, Tua has built a new life on the island.
Her days usually begin with a walk with Calvin, followed by breakfast, reading, tending to her plants and knitting clothes for family members. She exchanges novels with other Finnish residents and spends time chatting with neighbours and friends.
Afternoons might involve another walk with the dog, meeting friends or a swim in the communal pool.
Of course, life in Tenerife hasn’t been perfect. Rental problems and the realities of living in a different country have brought their own challenges.
But despite everything, Tua says she doesn’t regret selling her home in Finland and arriving in Tenerife alone with just two suitcases.
Sometimes, I suppose, you just have to stop talking about the life you’d like to live and get on with it.