From North Carolina to Spain

Kevin Schreck, thirty-three, moved from Wilmington, North Carolina to Valencia, Spain in two thousand eighteen after meeting her husband while pursuing a master's in Spanish. She joined a program placing native English speakers in public schools as classroom language assistants.

A temporary plan becomes permanent

Schreck initially planned to stay a couple of years, improve her Spanish, and return to the US to become a language teacher. She imagined having the typical American dream, a house with a big yard. But she fell in love with Spain instead.

“I imagined having the typical American dream, you know, a house with a big yard and all that.”

The advantage of having community

Schreck's husband was already in Valencia, which gave her an immediate social network and made immersion easier. She spent her first year learning about the culture, trying new foods, meeting people, and going out with her husband and his friends.

Making the move work financially

The teaching program provided Schreck with a student visa. She earned one thousand euros, about one thousand one hundred forty-six dollars, a month. She and her husband rented an apartment for seven hundred euros, about eight hundred two dollars, a month, splitting the cost.

Why Valencia feels like home

Valencia has just under a million people, making it feel less overwhelming than Barcelona or Madrid, especially for someone from the rural South. Schreck connected with Valencian culture and the region's distinct identity, different from other parts of Spain.

The accessibility advantage

Schreck lives just outside Valencia's city center in a small neighborhood. It takes her less than thirty seconds to walk to the grocery store and no more than ten or fifteen minutes to meet friends. She can reach the airport in about twenty minutes.

Affordable housing and living costs

About four years ago, Schreck and her husband bought a five hundred ninety-two-square-foot flat for about one hundred fifty thousand euros, about one hundred seventy-two thousand three hundred seventeen dollars. Their mortgage is six hundred four euros, about six hundred ninety-two dollars, a month.

Healthcare and daily expenses

Spain's universal healthcare system means Schreck doesn't worry about bills or copays. She and her husband spend between eighty and one hundred euros a week on groceries. A decent dinner costs around twenty-five euros per person.

Building a life in Spain

Schreck has become a travel advisor and is adopting a child with her husband. She plans to raise the child in Valencia, where she feels safer and where the bilingual region offers opportunities to learn multiple languages.

No plans to return

Though Schreck misses friends and family in North Carolina, she says this is the right place for her. Her life has blossomed in Spain, and she definitely does not intend to move back to the US.

“My life has really blossomed in Spain. I've become a travel advisor, and my husband and I are in the process of adopting a child.”