Discovering Spain Poco a Poco
Starting fresh and pivoting toward a new lifestyle
In August 2024, my family moved to Valencia, Spain. I’ve been documenting this journey on my Instagram account since 2023. Truthfully, I express myself best in writing, so that’s what this Substack is about: the process we took to get here, what it’s been like living in another country, the challenges, the triumphs, and what the future might look like for us here in Spain or back in the United States.
Five years ago, Spain wasn’t even on my radar. Yesterday, my husband and I passed by a monument that said, “Alboraya 1995.” I didn’t even know Alboraya existed in 1995, and Spain wasn’t on my “must-visit” list. (To be fair, I was 14 years old.) But this country and its culture, language, and people have completely captured my heart. And while we are still getting used to life here and don’t yet have a community, I feel very at home in Valencia.
As the Spanish say, everything comes “poco a poco.” The literal translation is “little by little.” All four of us learn new things about Spain and ourselves daily. I want to share what I’ve learned and maybe inspire others to pursue a dream, but most of all, you never have to be “stuck.” In the words of Ross Geller, “Here we go. Pivot. Pivot! Pivot! Pi-vot. Pi-vot. Pi-vot!”
We started getting an itch to shed the “normal” lifestyle in the States in 2019 and when we told our family they didn’t believe us. Then we did it. Then we settled back down for 5 years and here comes the itch again, this time across an ocean. I think I’ll write about that today. Our families must think we are just insane when they talk about us to each other.