6 Things We (Happily) Have After Moving to Spain

Here’s a follow-up piece to give perspective to “Six Things We (Happily) Don’t Have After Moving to Spain.” When we moved to Valencia a year ago, we got rid of about 97% of what we owned. It’s been said that we’re owned by our possessions. I was feeling that in a big way the last few years. By letting most of it go, we freed ourselves up for more of what we want now.

Here are six things we have now:

1. We have a furnished apartment within walking distance to everything we need. We rent a three bedroom, one bath for significantly less than our San Antonio mortgage payment, and because it’s in a walkable city we don’t need a car. Our 8th floor apartment has been renovated in a contemporary, less-is-more aesthetic which I absolutely adore: white walls, tile throughout, lots of windows and two terraces. 
   
2. We have an induction cooktop. I hadn’t cooked on an induction stove before moving to Spain and love it! Induction boils water for pasta in about two minutes, warms up leftovers possibly as quickly as a microwave would, and is environmentally friendly because it uses less energy than electric or gas. An added bonus this summer — the burners heat the pans and their contents, but not the kitchen. YES!
   
3. We have control over our schedules. One of the advantages of us quitting our jobs earlier rather than later is that as parents we can spend more time with our teenage son. (Yes, we are aware this most likely isn’t an advantage from his perspective.) We can also pursue our personal interests with plenty of time to read, write, walk, bike, go to the gym, hit the beach, travel and volunteer. This past summer we started helping at the The Ukrainian Refugee Center in Valencia which provides assistance with food and clothing for Ukrainians who fled to Valencia when the war broke out last March. This week, we bundled donated school supplies for distribution. We are continually humbled by how incredibly calm, patient and appreciative these families are while living with unimaginable stress. 
   
4. We have new language skills. We are learning Spanish. English is not spoken widely in Valencia outside of tourist areas, so it forces us to step up. It is good for our brains and is rewarding and fun when we can communicate in Spanish with our neighbors, produce vendors, shopkeepers, and others that we see regularly. A new Spanish friend and I started helping each other by doing language exchange. Franke wants me to help him improve his English, which is already quite good, and I need help with pronunciation and conversation.
   
5. We have new friends. It wasn’t easy at first in a new country, with a new language, COVID distancing, masks, and not having jobs where we would naturally meet people. It took getting out of our comfort zones, but we’re glad we did. John was invited to join a local bike group, and unlike in Texas where they ride for hours with only small breaks, this group is civilized stopping after a few hours for a nice lunch and coffee before heading back home. Then it finishes out at a cerveceria (brewery). They’ve nicknamed John El Tejano, the Texan, and he’s enjoying the challenging hill rides, the camaraderie of a shared interest, and trying new foods and beverages they suggest during stops at local cafes. 
   
6. We have new experiences. Our family loves to travel so we’re taking advantage of our proximity. We’ve explored Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, and Andalusia in the southern region of Spain where we took in Seville, Malaga, and Granada, experiencing everything from sunny skies to a rainy tour of Alhambra and snow in the Sierra Nevada. We spent a week in Denmark taking our time in Billund, Aarhus, Copenhagen and Elsinore where we wandered for hours at Kronborg Castle, reported to be the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Most recently we visited Faro and the Algarve region of Spain’s next-door-neighbor Portugal. I won’t soon forget the absolute joy I felt as we navigated on body boards in the chilly Atlantic to access a 50-million-year-old cave and a gorgeous beach with golden sand. 

Letting go of the majority of our things was hard physically, and in some instances emotionally, but we’re gaining so much. These six things are giving us new memories, knowledge, skills, and ways of interacting with others. Living abroad is not everyone’s dream. My intention in sharing our story is to inspire those who want to make a change to do it now. Don’t let the naysayers dissuade you. Don’t worry about missing stuff. Worry about missing the life you’re meant to live.

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to read Six Thing We (Happily) Don’t Have After Moving to Spain. Please share with the buttons below. To never miss a post, tick the box below to subscribe or scroll back to the top and click the blue SUBSCRIBE button. 

Want to know more about our first move abroad? I wrote a book! Times New Roman: How We Quit Our Jobs, Gave Away Our Stuff & Moved to Italy