3:55 p.m.: I open the door to our terrace trying to figure out if I need a coat at this hour of the day. I love that I live in a place where this is a valid question in February. Deciding it may get chilly as the sun is on it’s way down, I put…

“Want to go for a walk?” I asked Michael. After a four-day vacation in northern Spain it was time to reacquaint ourselves with our neighborhood and our routines. We showered, dressed and were out the door at 11am. This might seem like a late start to most Americans–myself included. But things are different here. We…

It’s 9:30 a.m. Michael and I walk down a pedestrianized road lined with shops and bars. The street has been divided into a walking area and a dining area. Each bar distinguishes itself with different tables and chairs. Silver metal tables and black wicker chairs at one. White plastic tables and white plastic chairs at…

Every expat we meet here in Valencia, Spain, tells us the same thing: You made the right choice. “We love it here,” they say. The weather, the people, the plethora of things to do, the slower pace of life. Some loved it from the moment they got here. Others said they didn’t think they’d stay…

“So how did you choose Valencia?” other Spanish expats ask me. “We looked all over the country,” I explain. “Made a spreadsheet with at least forty places on it. Then we eliminated any place where they speak a different language.” At this point, I usually get a nod as this is something many expats here…

“You moved here during the pandemic?” a fellow expat asked me the other day. “Well, yes,” I said. We were sitting in the Turia –a park that winds its way through the center of Valencia, Spain. “Why did you choose to come now?” she asked. Having been asked this question at least twenty times in…