Meet Juan Montas
Read the interview we conducted with Juan, a member of the Glow Experience marketing and sales team, to find out about his connection with Latin America and Spain, his inspiration for sport and what he shares with his family.
Today we are going to learn a little more about the life journey of one of our marketing and sales colleagues: Juan Montas.
From an early age he knew what it was like to live between worlds. Two realities that shaped his being and between which he divided his youth, making him grow as a person. In one he found something that he really likes, something that he still likes.
Now it’s time for him to start a new stage after a big change. New goals await him in the coming new year and, despite being young, he thinks in a mature way thanks to what he learned from the people close to him.
In this interview we will find out who Juan is and what he can tell us about what he has experienced.
Where are you from and how did you spend your childhood?
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. I have Dominican parents and one of my grandparents is Spanish, so I feel like I have dual nationality in that regard. Every summer, in addition to living here in the Dominican Republic all year round, I would go on vacation to Spain for a month and a half / two months to spend time with my grandparents and so on, so I lived in both countries. I enjoyed being with the maternal side of my family in Asturias and I always went with my sister; in addition, I met my cousins there, so I grew up in a very family-oriented environment.
I loved being there, I played a lot outdoors and in the countryside with my cousins and we went on family trips to visit different cities, both in Asturias and Galicia.
In the Dominican Republic I have always played soccer, so I shared and did exercise and sports with friends. After school and on weekends we played on teams we had, in tournaments and so on. At the same time I always made time, either to play video games, like FIFA, sports or car stuff, or if not I watched a lot of soccer games, Formula 1, NBA, and so on with friends or with my grandfather.
My parents signed me up for different sports activities from the age of 3. I tried several until, over time, I became particularly interested in football.
Apart from the summers in Asturias, I fondly remember going to see the football matches that my younger cousins played in the children’s tournaments. I loved cheering them on from the stands when I was only 6 or 8 years old. I just wanted to get to the point where I could also play on the field while the others cheered me on. It’s a very fun memory, thinking that in the future it would be you.
Would you choose Asturias for your holiday? Or maybe somewhere else?
Currently, if I had to choose a place to spend my holidays in a relaxed way, it would be Asturias. It allows me to really disconnect from the daily hustle and bustle, spending time with my family or friends in a calm and peaceful environment. Walking, eating and enjoying the moment slowly, for example with a glass of wine, makes those days very special for me.
However, in the near future I would also like to visit other places both inside and outside Spain and the Dominican Republic. I have never had the opportunity to visit Argentina, so I find the idea of going there to discover such unique landscapes as Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego very interesting. I am also attracted by the culture and slower lifestyle of the Nordic European countries, so it would be an enriching experience to spend some time in one of them. It is always interesting to take advantage of travel to expand personal horizons through immersion in other cultures.
Is there anyone in your family who has inspired you a lot?
Within my family, I have always greatly admired my two grandfathers. On the one hand, my maternal grandfather, who is 95 years old, still works every day with great passion and effort, fully dedicated to the company he created. On the other hand, I also look up to my paternal grandfather, who knew how to fully enjoy life after retirement and invest his money well to travel.
Which football team in Spain do you support the most?
I have always been a big fan of Real Madrid. I remember with special fondness the times I have been able to go to the Santiago Bernabéu to watch live matches, whether they were league, cup or Champions League. Watching my team play in the stadium was an unforgettable experience.
Any favorite artists you're looking forward to seeing in concert?
Now that I live in Madrid, I know that there are many more opportunities to attend concerts of the artists I listen to, compared to what happened in the Dominican Republic. Above all, I would like to see Melendi and Morat live, who frequently come to Spain to present their music live. These are probably the two musicians whose concerts I would attend with preference in the short term.
However, I am also open to discovering other performers who will emerge on the music scene in the future. I have enjoyed some festivals held in my country, where I have been able to hear many Latin American musicians of different genres live.
Let's recap 2023, what has been the highlight of your life?
I would say that October was one of the most significant months for me this year. It was when I finally moved to Madrid, something I had been thinking about since the beginning of the year. The fact that I was moving to live and work in a more stable and professional way, not just for studies, was a big change for me.
Moving to a city where I had no close family or any other kind of support, although I did have friends and acquaintances, was quite an experience. It meant entering a completely different reality than what I was used to. Without a doubt, October was the most challenging month for this new stage, as it required a process of adaptation to my new independent life in Madrid. It was without a doubt when I set myself the most personal and future challenges.