A Whole New World

Moving to Spain was a dream we had for a few years and when the opportunity arose, we took the chance. We have never been to the country before but have heard so many amazing things from people we have met over the years. After watching endless YouTube videos and following tons of Facebook groups, we decided that Spain was a good place to start. We were debating between Spain and Italy because that is where Gaetano was born, but we have both been there before so we wanted to go somewhere new!

There are always differences when moving to a new place and adapting to the environment. Being here has already been a bit of a culture shock, but in many ways it hasn’t been that hard to transition. Even without speaking the language fluently, we are able to understand people and make new friends everywhere we go, especially Emma.

The first reason we wanted to move to Spain was because it was family friendly. Although there are tons of places for families in New Jersey, the way people act towards children is different here. Most people have kids, or they have nieces/nephews, or they are just friendly towards kids even if they don’t have them!

In the US, many people who chose to not have kids and even adults who had them already, act annoyed or bothered by kids when they are in public, not everyone obviously but more often than here for sure. Similar to Mexico, abuelas and older folks are always happy to play with our daughter and say hello. If you follow me on social media you also know that there are so many playgrounds here and often they are near the restaurants or the beach so you can have it all!

Another reason we chose Spain was for the accessibility. Being able to walk to the grocery store or pharmacy are such a game changer and are super important for our health. We love going for walks outside more and it’s more explorative than walking around our same neighborhood every day. The buses and trains here have been super nice and for the most part, on time and reliable. We did try to take the bus once and the drivers were on strike, but that is not common everywhere. We also rented a car to drive one day from Salamanca to Conil de la Frontera which was about 6 hours and the roads were super nice!

Our plans changed quite a bit this year and this decision ended up being a little last minute. Originally, I had applied to a position in San Diego with AmeriCorps. However, I had to find housing for us 3 and Gaetano would have to find a new job and Emma a new school. All of this was supposed to happen before August so that I could have an address to get paid and start onboarding. The process was really rushed and last minute so I felt it was not realistic for us to move there to just be paying more in rent and having less time together as a family.

When I had agreed to this position earlier in May, we thought we would drive across the country to move in our new Tesla. Unfortunately, someone decided to fall asleep at the wheel and crash into Gaetano putting him in further pain and spending a few hours in the hospital to recover. The Tesla was totaled and it was time to focus on Gaetano healing and rethinking our plan.

We knew how much we loved this new car and lifestyle, but that it also meant we would be driving a lot if we stay in the United States. Of course there are so many ways you can get hurt or potentially face death anywhere every day, but it is proven that driving a car is one of the most dangerous things that we do today as humans.

We chose to let go of the Tesla and refocus more on our health and safety as a family. Instead of a road trip across the states in an electric car, we  booked a flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Spain. Was this better in our carbon footprint? In the short-term no, but in the long-term we felt yes.

Having the Tesla would eliminate our use of fossil fuels in our car, but we knew it would still be a risk for our life and health. While we intend to have a car again one day, we want to take our time to just travel and enjoy life more simply by using public transportation and our own two feet.

Now we can’t talk about Spain without talking about the food. Let’s be honest, American cuisine is pretty unhealthy overall. We are also aware of all the chemicals and additives put into the food in America vs Europe, which cannot compare. Not only is it based on financial status, it is also based on where you live and what color your skin is.

Growing our own food again is a big goal and we felt that home ownership in America was not attainable or worth it at this time. For now, we want to be able to buy groceries that are more affordable and are clean and safe to eat. I was amazed at the fact you can buy a huge 5 L water bottle for less than €1! Also, the restaurants are much cheaper and very laid back so you can relax without feeling rushed out.

Of course there are always drawbacks and obstacles that come with moving to a new place. I’ll dive deeper into the biggest shocks and differences in the next blogpost!

Thank you for being you, thank you for getting this far and reading this whole article.

You are love and light, as you are, a star 💫

-GloboMama