Life Update : We Moved to Spain

When your husband (boyfriend at the time) randomly calls your phone one day and asks “Hey, do you want to move to Spain?” there is only one appropriate answer.

And now, about a year later, I’m settling into my new life in Rota, Spain. While I certainly wasn’t planning on a worldwide pandemic to be thrown into the mix of 2020, I’m feeling optimistic about our next chapter as two Americans immersing ourselves in Spanish culture for the first time.

A few people have been curious as to how we were able to make such a drastic move and it all boils down to Jay’s career. He is an EOD technician (aka a bomb tech) for the Navy and was lucky enough to get orders here. A lot of the challenges that most Americans would have to confront to get a visa were made relatively “easy” for us because of Jay’s contract. Alas, while the process has been more streamlined for us, I use easy as a relative term because this move has had its difficulties and not everything has been whimsical. The anxiety of leaving behind my culture to move across the world to a country I’ve never even been to, the fear of catching COVID-19, and the general stress of a mandatory quarantine upon arrival have made these past few months a haze of uncertainty.

However, things are looking up! This past weekend we tried some delicious restaurants, enjoyed some picturesque scenery, spent time with friends, and learned a little more about the culture. Now that our quarantine period is over and we are able to go out and live (semi)normally, l’m finally being pulled back into reality and am optimistic about this new opportunity to expand my paradigms and become more attuned with my spirit.

One thing I have to keep reminding myself is to be present and patient. As Lao Tzu said, “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving”, or in other words, traveling is all about being present enjoying the journey. I still have so much to learn and hope my friends and family enjoy following along on this journey.