Tranquila, señora
life in Tenerife
Yesterday it happened… I missed my dentist appointment.
Fifteen minutes before the appointment, completely stressed out, I sent a message saying I wouldn’t make it.
Instant panic mode: “Help! A missed appointment! Will I get a fine? Can I even book another one?”
I nervously waited for their reply…
A few minutes later, the message came in:
“Buenos días, le cambiamos la cita. El próximo miércoles 22/10 a las 13:40h? Le vendría bien esta cita?”
(Good morning, we’ll reschedule your appointment. Next Wednesday at 13:40 does that work for you?)
I just stared at the message in disbelief, so simple, so kind, so relaxed.
Still half in my Belgian reflex mode, I politely replied:
“Sí, esa cita me viene bien. Muchas gracias por su comprensión y disculpen nuevamente por no haber podido asistir esta mañana.” (Yes, that appointment works for me. Thank you for your understanding and my apologies again for not being able to come this morning.)
And then came this: “Tranquila, gracias a usted por avisarnos.”
(No worries, thank you for letting us know.)
culture shock Belgium Spain
tranquilo lifestyle
One word that says it all.
No irritation, no stress, just… “it happens.”
Belgian mindset
From stress reflex to tranquilo mode
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Because I still catch myself slipping into that automatic stress reflex.
But here in Tenerife, time seems to move differently.
Or maybe it’s that people allow time to move differently.
Where I used to feel that everything had to happen “right now” emails, deadlines, appointments
I’m slowly learning that almost nothing collapses when things don’t go exactly as planned.
The baker closes an hour earlier, the bus leaves five minutes late, the dentist says “tranquila.” and the world keeps turning.
Southern mentality
A different mindset
The Southern mentality still amazes me every single day.
Not because life here is perfect (it definitely isn’t),
but because there’s room for kindness, for human mistakes, for “it’ll be fine.”
And that does something to you, your heartbeat, your mood even your productivity.
Because calm doesn’t mean doing less, it means doing things without that constant sense of rush.
expat in Spain
What this dentist lesson taught me
- Not everything needs to be fixed right away.
- Slowing your breath often helps more than you think.
- And when someone says “tranquila,” they really mean it.
less stress
I’m still getting used to this tranquilo way of life but every day, it gets a little easier.
And honestly? I wouldn’t want it any other way.
moving south
