Nikki Dale took a summer job in the Algarve because she fancied some sun, sea and socializing. 10 years later she’s happily settled with a husband, a baby and a high-flying career. Words Isobel Palmer

“It was my best friend from school, Heidi, who gave me the idea. I was 21 and working as a receptionist at a design and marketing agency in London. Heidi had gone out to the Algarve, found a great job at a golf resort and was having a superb time partying on the beach. Another friend and I decided we should join her for the summer and get a tan.

I flew out on a one-way ticket, with no job and no plan, but I was young and just wanted to have fun. I immediately fell in love with Praia de Lug in Western Algarve and the laidback lifestyle. You can imagine what a change it was from my home in Southend-on-Sea in Essex.

It was the summer and the whole place was buzzing. We went out every evening and during the day we visited all the different beaches. Although it’s a family-oriented town with a marina and nice restaurants, there are also some great bars and discos. There’s a big surf scene and that attracts a lot of people.

I was having such a good time that when Heidi said there was a job going as a receptionist at the beauty spa in the same resort, I thought, well, I’ll stay until September. I found accommodation, settled in and felt really at home. My commute at home had been an hour and half each way. Now it was taking me 10 minutes to get to work. I loved my new lifestyle.

One day I realised two years had gone by and said to myself: “Come on Nicola, you have to stop having so much fun and think about your career.” But then I was offered a job as a marketing administrator at Oceanico and decided I could stay a bit longer. It was 2002 and they were a small property development company in those days.

I suppose the fact that I had just met Matt influenced me. He had just arrived on the Algarve and was working as a chef; there was no way he was ready to go back to Britain. We had been really good mates for a couple of months when my flatmate acted as matchmaker. She told me he was the ideal guy for me and one night – well – let’s just say a romance developed and our relationship changed!

Read more in the March issue of Living Abroad magazine