A day to relax? To celebrate? To think about anything but work?

No, today I encourage you to consider your professional achievements, your development, your goals and aspirations. To be grateful for the opportunities you’ve been given. But in these difficult economic times it’s also essential to find ways to advance your skills, because you never know what’s around the corner.

I started working as a translator about six years ago. Quite unexpectedly, actually, because at university I wasn’t too fond of translation lectures. I used to skive off all the time. I graduated in interpreting, but soon realised that in Malta my language combination wasn’t all that useful. Everyone speaks English here, most people also speak – or at least understand – Italian, and Dutch is totally useless on my tiny rock in the Mediterranean. Passive French can be an asset, but only in combination with active Maltese. And my Maltese is still quite basic. I knew I had to diversify to survive in this tough sector. So I let go of the whole idea of becoming an interpreter (more on that here) and tried to be the best translator I could possibly be.

I was lucky enough to be offered an opportunity to work with probably the best translation agency in the world, Blue Lines Translations. A young, dynamic team that allows me to make mistakes and learn from them, to explore different topics to find out what suits me and what doesn’t, to get a taste of project management and so much more. I’ve discovered that I’m not good at dry financial texts and that lifestyle, fashion and beauty are precisely my cup of tea. That managing translation projects is not challenging enough for me; I prefer working backstage, where the action is. And last but not least, that young people, right out of university, deserve a chance. I’m glad I was given that chance and I’m proud of myself for using it to the full. Of course, I still have tons to learn. I’m a perfectionist, yet sometimes I don’t deliver, particularly when I have to translate French health care texts into Dutch. I don’t mind sharing my weaknesses, because I think it’s important to identify them, to highlight them, otherwise you can’t move forward. No one is invincible. If you think you are, you’re not on the right track.

On this journey, I couldn’t have wished for better colleagues. So today, on Workers’ Day, my heartfelt thanks go out to them. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for your patience, your dedication, your friendship. Work is work, I’ve said that before. It’s not the main reason for being – let’s be honest, we all like weekends and holidays. But if you enjoy doing what you do, and if you’re surrounded by like-minded people, the in-betweens become more bearable, fun even. You maximise your potential and become a happier person. And if you’re lucky, you even make friends along the way!

Workers’ Day is not simply another day off. It’s a time to contemplate and be grateful. Keep that in mind today!

La dolce vita in Malta

I graduated in interpreting. It was something I was quite good at. In the booth I was confident, creative, focused. My lecturers encouraged me to pursue a career in interpreting, ideally in Belgium, where I grew up and where all the opportunities are. Fate decided otherwise. I fell in love. With an island dweller. Two weeks after graduating I packed my suitcase and moved to the rock. Never regretted that decision, ever.

I now live in the Mediterranean. The islander and I own a flat with a sea view (until they decide to demolish the houses opposite and I end up looking at my neighbours’ washing lines) and I indulge in the dolce vita of the South, where fireworks are a daily occurrence in summer, music and art are food for the soul, life is lived on narrow streets and colourful squares, religion is the backbone of society and work is nothing more than a countdown to late-night drinks at the pub.

It’s a misconception that Southerners don’t work. They do, and more intensely than up North, believe me. Forty-hour weeks are the norm and siestas are not standard practice. But we – I consider myself one of them, albeit with milky-white skin that turns lobster red from April onwards – live. We treat ourselves to good, but sometimes far too greasy food – think pastizzi, qassatat and rabbit stew (well, hubby-to-be, I don’t eat rabbit). And wine – yes, Maltese wine is actually good. My favourite: Delicata’s Grand Vin de Hauteville. Highly recommended. We travel – Air Malta won’t go bankrupt, we’re far too loyal to our national airline. We simply enjoy life.

Many wonder why I chose to move to a rock with a total surface area of 316 km², a spit in the sea. With a population density of more than 1,200 people per square kilometer. A place where trains and trams don’t exist. Where it never snows. Where the humidity levels are so high my hair looks like that of Madonna in the 1980s. Well, the answer is simple: I followed my heart. I realised that you only live once. That work is important, essential even, but that, at the end of the day, all that really matters is happiness. And although work does add to happiness, it’s not the main contributing factor. Love is. Not just love for that one special person, but love for life. I’m not simplifying. I’m not romanticising. This is how I see it.

Yes, if I had stayed in Belgium I would probably have become an interpreter instead of a translator. I would have earned more money.  But I would also have lived a very different lifestyle. No sunshine on my pillow. No walks on the seafront soaking up the Mediterranean sun. No shopping in the city of the Knights of Saint John on Saturdays. By ferry, because we travel in style! No cake at Fontanella on Sundays. No trips to the beach in October.

Who knew life could be so blissfully perfect? Sure, I have off-days too. But today is not one of them. Enjoy your weekend!