ANNA MARIA

Anna María. 57 years old. Manresa.

Anna María is from Manresa, Barcelona. At the age of 17 she started working to help her family financially, and at nights, she studied languages, which she found fascinating. Her life was not easy and soon alcohol became a refuge from her conflictive relationship with her father. She decided to move out and live, what she called, “a hippy life” travelling throughout Spain and surviving on the crafts that she made and sold on the streets. When she returned to Manresa, Anna María got married, and five years later found herself alone with a business to run. A car accident caused her to be in a coma for 21 days. When she recovered she found herself in a debilitated and complicated situation. By chance, or not, that same night she met a Dutch man walking on the Ramblas and they fell in love. “We looked at each other and with that gaze told ourselves we would live the rest of our lives together.” He lived on the street and Anna María decided to go live with him. She lived on the street for twelve years. She survived on the two pensions that she had, although they only lasted a few days. Sleeping on the beach during the summer and in open bank ATMs in the winter. Alcohol remained very present throughout her life, until she managed to quit drinking on the sixth attempt. She has now stopped drinking for a year and it has been three years since she lived on the street. She lives in an apartment of the Arrels Foundation and continues believing that Love changes your life.