Steve Holmes in Malta Expat Spotlight

Today’s Expat Spotlight interview is Steve Holmes, who retired from the London Fire Brigade last year and decided to start a new life on the Maltese island of Gozo.

Quick Stats:

Name: Steve Holmes
Occupation: Fire Safety Consultant
Current Location: Munxar, Gozo, Malta
Originally From: UK
Expat Locations:
Website: in-search-of-nirvana.blogspot.com
Twitter: Gozosteve

How did you become an expat, and why?

Retired from the London Fire Brigade after more than 30 years service. Sold up lock stock and barrel in the UK and relocated to a 200 year old farm house on the Maltese Island of Gozo. I was looking for a complete contrast to London, that is somewhere quiet and laid back. I am now a freelance fire safety consultant and at the same time I am following my passion for wine. I have visited many of my favorite wine regions around the world in my relentless search for knowledge on the subject in the last 25 years, and continue to do so here in Malta.

Where else have you been an expat?

Just Malta.

Best piece of expat advice you’ve received?

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. Ben Stein, Writer and Actor.

Best piece of expat advice you’d give?

When you relocate, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable, the country that you come from does not set the standard. (Ed: Paraphrasing a similar quote for travelers by Clifton Fadiman – makes sense to us.)

Favorite expat related web sites?

The following websites are loaded with info and experiences, both good and bad, relevant to Malta and Gozo.

Are you planning or dreaming of a move? Are you going home instead? Where to and why?

My dream would be to have my fire consultancy business established, leaving me enough time to follow my passion for wine. I have started down this road already.

Tell us more about what you do in your location?

Swim (nowhere is more than 20 mins from the sea), quad biking, wine tasting, walking, socialising, networking.

Would you recommend your current location to other expats? Does it rock or does it suck?

I like it here very much, but it may not suit everyone, government services and staff are unreliable, dealing with them is like trying to wade through treacle. Some may find Gozo too quiet.

If you intend to locate to Malta, Gozo or any other country try to spend as much time as possible in your chosen location. To live here is not the same as spending two weeks on holiday. It is a great place to live but is no Utopia.

What is the expat community like where you are?

Expats here on the Maltese Islands mix and live with the local community. No expat enclaves here, thankfully. The locals are very friendly and happy to receive expats into the community. Malta and Gozo can boast having the 3rd happiest and most satisfied population in the world during a recent survey, the UK and US were well down the list in this survey. You can expect long hot summers April to mid December. And mild short winters, January to the end of March.

Thank you!

Thank you, Steve for participating in our Expat Spotlight! We wish you success and happiness in your current location, and wherever your dreams and business endeavors take you.