Making the the decision to move to Spain for a year was easy. My husband and I had spoken of living in a foreign country with our children when I was pregnant with our first child. Yet our sons were 7 and 12 the first time we got them to Europe. That’s when it hit us — act now, or our dream to live overseas as a family might never happen.
I remember the day vividly. The boys were playing fútbol in a plaza in Barcelona. Dave and I were delighting in yet another array of mind blowing tapas. He turned to me and said, “Let’s do it. Let’s move to Spain for a year. As soon as possible.” We raised our glasses of vino tinto together with a little clink clink, and the deal was sealed.
But that was a short lived moment of glory.
Figuring out how to move to Spain from the US would become a far more daunting journey than I had ever have imagined.
An Honest Assessment of the Ups and Downs of Our Move to Spain
In this story, originally published in Where Can I Live, I share our journey of how we moved to Spain as an American family. I speak honestly about our experiences after two and a half years living in Seville, including:
- What inspired us to move to Spain for a year
- How to move to Spain from the US
- Our confusion applying for the Spanish Non Lucrative Visa
- How we researched the best place to live in Spain as a family
- How we chose a school for our children
- Things you might consider when it comes to education in Spain as an expat family.
- Additional advice for expats moving to Spain to keep sane as you wade through logistical hurdles and emotional decisions