My dream to live on Ibiza by Jason Ham

Posted by Jason+ on Oct 31, 2012 in Ibiza Tips

Many years ago, I sat on a little jetty, located just to the left of the beach at Cala Llenya, lost in my own thoughts. Just like thousands of people before me, and the thousands after who will visit the beautiful island of Ibiza, I sat there creating an elaborate dream, a vision, in my mind: of one day living here, and enjoying the fruits of this magical place. Not just over a crazy weekend of partying, or a week of beaches and restaurants, squashed in between leaving the rain at home and returning to piles of work on the desk, but permanently, throughout the changing seasons.

My Ibiza Dream

Even though that dream remained more of a fantasy than anything else, for year after year, I never let go of the vision that I had: living in the countryside, surrounded by friends and family, with each day bringing a slightly different, yet always guaranteed, glorious sunrise and sunset, and slowly becoming part of the fabric of the island. This September 2012, I finally saw my dream become reality, and I resigned from my job as a partner in a law firm in London, and moved the whole family (including the Erick the cat) to Ibiza. I have a great job, working with fantastic professional people at Lucas Fox International, selling extraordinary villas and apartments, and promoting the company around the world. I live with my wife and two young sons in the North of the island, in San Lorenzo, surrounded by fields full of sheep, horses and chickens, and my 4-year old son is having the time of his life at school in Morna Valley. Perfect then. Except one part of this dream remains unfulfilled. 

Do you like to live in Ibiza…? It is all possible you just have to do it

My Brother Dave and the band Marner Brown

My brother, Dave, manages a rock band called Marner Brown an awesome, incredible band (currently recording their first album in The Charlatans studios in Manchester, and soon to be the new face of Alfa Romeo), and managed by an awesome, incredible brother. Two summers ago, when the two of us were on Ibiza, I promised him (whilst hanging off a stool outside the Rock Bar in Ibiza Town, and coming over all big brothers) that one day i would ensure that Marner Brown would take to the stage on Ibiza and blow the rocks off this island. Their lead singer, Fiachra Kerrigan (far too good looking for my liking, and with a voice you could sandpaper the walls of an old Ibiza Finca with) made his maiden voyage to Ibiza last year, and was so converted by the unique spirit of the island, and by the music played here (as well as by a Russian pole dancer, but that’s another story) that he vowed to return again, but ONLY if it was to play his first gig on the island. In my mind I can see the image clearly – Marner Brown being the first band to play live at the top of Dalt Vila at the 2013 IMS Festival, with Pete Tong and Simeon Friend nodding sagely to each other as the sun sets behind the drums, followed by them exploding onto the stage at Ibiza Rocks to the sound of a thousand screams in response to this fresh young energetic rock band, that for once, Ibiza may be able to claim as one of our own.

 Some final words

And then I have one final image:  me sitting on my old jetty at Cala Llenya after that first successful night of introducing Marner Brown to Ibiza, and as the sun slowly rises, turning to my brother and saying “We actually did it, didn’t we?…”. I have now been living on Ibiza for over almost two months, and we have had to endure a steep learning curve as to how things work, and sometimes don´t work, on the island; from buying a car, to getting an actual postal address and sorting out residency certificates. The lovely Ibiza Inside people have asked me for a Top Ten Tip List, for next month´s blog, which I´m working on now, the first one being ´Never let the Ibiza Inside people know that you are happy to write blogs!´

In the meantime you can catch some of Marner Brown´s tunes here  and if you like what you hear you can help them achieve their own dream from here  

Gracias Amigos,

El Jamon