For several years now I’ve wanted to move to Europe. On the long end, realistically, it’s been closer to 20 years, but favorably found myself living bi-coastal between New York City and Los Angeles for most of those years. Finally planning to make the move to Europe. I initially chose Paris, but opted for Spain instead so I can achieve fluency in Spanish before attempting proficiency in French. My move date to Spain is August 2025. I’ve tentatively narrowed it down to four cities. Here are brief overviews of each.
Madrid: Population 3 million. The capital of Spain. Considered a global city and the political, economic, and cultural center of the country with lots of art museums. Centrally located, it’s easy to get to other parts of the country, as well as other European cities.
Burgos: Population 180,000. About a 2.5 hour drive north of Madrid. I passed this city on the bus ride from Madrid to Paris last year. Even from afar it caught my eye. It runs along the path of the Camino de Santiago and the Cathedral of Burgos is a designated UNESCO world heritage site.
Santander: Population 172,000. About a 5 hour drive north of Madrid. It is a coastal city located in northern Spain on the Iberian Peninsula with regular ferry service to the United Kingdom. It’s also the city for which Santander Bank was named.
Valladolid: Population 300,000. About a 2 hour drive north west of Madrid. Has architecture and culture similar to Burgos and is the city where Christopher Columbus died.
The plan for now is to live in Spain for 3 months which for U.S. Citizens a visa is not required. However, starting in the middle of this year, an ETIAS travel authorization will be required to enter Spain for certain countries, including the U.S. During this time I may consider finding work in Spain, or apply for a Digital Nomad visa which started in 2023, and allows remote workers and freelancers to live and work in the country.
Will update choices as the time gets closer. Mentally I’m already there. 🌎
