7 Years On: Spanish Permanent Residency

On this day, seven years ago, my journey took a turn. On April 12, 2017, I had an epiphany while listening to a podcast on one of my lunchtime walks. The podcast was one of my favorites at the time… stories of expats who moved abroad to live a better life. I had, by then, …

How to Stay in Spain More Than 90 Days as an American

Do sangrias, siestas and sunshine call to you? Would you like to stay or live in Spain long term? Would you like to stay longer than the 90 days allowed on your American passport? You can and I'll tell you exactly how to do it. As an American, your valid U.S. passport only allows you …

Day Trip to Alicante and Guadalest

One of the things I most love about living in Valencia is the number of free or affordable things to do! We have dozens of incredible museums (running the gamut from art, history, science, curiosities, etc.) most of which charge 2 euros. And if that doesn't fit your budget, just wait until Sunday when it …

Why Spain?

As a recently retired American expat living in Spain, it is one of the most frequent questions I get. Of all the places in the world, why did we choose to move to Spain? Why not stay in sunny San Diego? Why not retire to Arizona or Florida? Why not Mexico or Costa Rica or …

The Best Thing About Early Retirement in Spain…

... is I can ride whenever the f*ck I want! Today was not the best ride, not the longest ride, but I got out there. Lane's Inspirational Quote du Jour: It's not whether you succeed or fail, it's whether or not you tried! I wasn't 'feeling it' when I got on the bike. The wind …

The Street Art of El Carmen: Episode 2

Yesterday was a holiday here in Valencia. We celebrate the Nou d'Octubre, (9th of October) as The Region of Valencia Day, the day in 1238 when King Jaume I liberated the city of Valencia from Moorish rule. Most people had the day off. Only bars and restaurants were open (says a lot about what Valencianos …

Best Mexican Restaurants in Valencia

Good Mexican food is difficult to find in Valencia, Spain. It is not a natural fit for Spain. Spaniards generally don't enjoy spicy food. And, I think, many of the typical ingredients for traditional Mexican food are not available in this part of the world. One of the things we miss most about California is …

The One Change I Found Difficult to Embrace

I have made a lot of massive changes in my life recently, however, one surprising change has been more difficult than all the others. At this stage in my life, I don't fear change... I embrace it. Until 5 years ago, I was generally shy and introverted and while you won't see me speaking in …

It’s Official: Spain’s Newest Resident

It's been a long, long road. Today feels like the culmination of the last 5 years of our lives. Today, we received our Residency Cards in Valencia, Spain! It has been 5 years of soul-searching, difficult decisions, persistence, hard work, planning, executing, several amazing exploratory trips to Greece, Croatia and Spain, time, money and resources …

Dénia, Spain: Food Crawling in a City of Gastronomy – Jill’s Urban Food Crawls

Jill from Jill's Urban Food Crawls shares her visit to Denia, Spain! Sounds like I need to get there sooner rather than later! -- Lane Beck, 24 Jun 2018, San Diego, CA The seaside town of Dénia sits on a piece of Spain's Costa Blanca jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea just over 100 km south …