You can call me a dork, but working in public radio was my dream as a teenager — and the hours I spent mapping out my career path and building up my résumé paid off by the time I was an adult.
After graduating from college in 2019, I interned at NPR, then landed a job at my local public radio station. Within a few years, I’d worked my way up to being a beat reporter, the role I’d always wanted.
Once I’d hit this big goal so early in my career, in my early 20s, I didn’t know what to do next. Then, a vacation abroad gave me my answer.
I made the choice to step away from my career in the US and move to Spain
Less than a year after becoming a beat reporter, I traveled to Spain with my partner and friends.
We visited Málaga, where I’d spent a semester in university. I loved slipping back into the slower pace of life, embracing the city’s walkability, and taking in the vibrant bougainvillea and beauty around every corner.
I felt myself decoupling my identity from my job, and briefly letting go of the anxiety I usually tow behind me. I didn’t want to leave.
For the first time, I started seriously considering leaving my job, moving to Spain, and freelancing from abroad. Once my partner agreed to give it a try, I went all-in.
Within a year, I’d figured out how to get us across the pond and found a place in Seville.
Then came the hard part: telling my beloved bosses and coworkers at the station that I was leaving. They were sad but incredibly supportive, and even granted me my dream send-off: a slumber party at the radio station, complete with karaoke and a screening of “Shrek 2.”
The move pushed me to confront a lot of things I’d never realized about myself
My partner and I officially moved to Spain in the fall of 2024, and the transition has been tough.
I came on a teaching program, making a paltry 800 euros a month, and my visa didn’t allow me to take on any other part-time job.
I hadn’t realized before how much I tied my self-worth to my earnings and productivity. I hated how dependent I felt on my partner, the breadwinner, who was working full-time as an engineer.
After a while, I was able to switch my visa and even start working with my old station again as a fill-in editor, but it’s a pay cut and far cry from the stability I used to take for granted. I’m still blowing through my savings.
Sometimes I worry the experiences and skills I’ve cultivated here won’t come through on a résumé if I decide to return to traditional employment.
I miss living close to family and friends, and little things, like a 20-ounce cloyingly sweet iced coffee from Dunkin’. I miss living in a culture that I know and understand innately, and the ease of striking up a conversation with total strangers.
Even though my Spanish is quite good, every once in a while, I still miss a subtle social cue or can’t discern a thick accent. I find myself keeping quiet sometimes to avoid embarrassment.
I’d also never realized how accustomed I was to the conveniences of American life. It took me a while to get used to not being able to grocery shop on Sundays or go out to dinner until 8 p.m.
At the same time, living here allows me to better avoid some things that paralyzed me with fear in the States. I feel safer now as gun violence is relatively rare in this country compared to the US.
Since Seville’s public transportation system is so robust, I’ve been able to give up driving, which had made me uneasy after multiple car accidents.
We’ve also been able to fulfill more of our travel dreams that would not have been feasible if we still lived across the Atlantic.
This month, we’re even visiting Egypt. Our flights are way shorter and less than one-third of the price they would’ve been had we been flying from the US.
Although we’re planning to stay longer, I’m not 100% sure the move has been worth it
Together, my partner and I have built our own little life here. We know our neighbors. We’re joining clubs. We have our favorite local bars and cafés.
So far, we’ve decided that staying in Spain is worthwhile. I’ll soon be filling out applications for my third residency card in two years.
Even so, I’m still not sure if moving here was the “right” call. I don’t think I’ll ever know for sure. However, this move has taught me a really important lesson: It’s OK to change my mind.
Whether it’s in a year or a decade, returning to the States will not be an admission of failure. The only way to know for sure if we liked living here was to try it.
And even if we decide we don’t want this for the long haul, this experience has enriched our lives in ways we didn’t know were possible — and that’s something I’ll never regret.
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