Why I’m Moving to Spain

After years of working, healing, and dreaming, I’m finally moving to Spain. Here’s why I chose to take the leap…and everything I’m taking with me (and leaving behind).

Donostia - San Sebastian, Spain

There’s a moment, sometimes very suddenly, where a decision finally clicks into place. Mine happened in a tiny office in Tallahassee, Florida. I looked around at the life I’d built out of survival and grit and realized: I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t take it. I’m ready to do something big for myself and build something new out of joy and curiosity. And let’s face it: survival.

I’m moving to Spain. Basque Country specifically.

Not for a vacation, not to run away, but to become. To learn. To experience. To just, be.

From Burnout to Bravery

This choice didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s the result of years of being a hamster on a wheel, not really going anywhere no matter how hard I tried. Combined with caregiving, complex trauma recovery, and wrestling with a broken system, it led me to complete burnout.

I was not feeling inspired by anything. Lost all my hope for the future. I felt as though I was wasting my life, and realizing I didn’t really care anymore at the same time. On top of all that, the political climate in my country was rapidly changing for the worst before my very eyes. Despite all my effort to grow and be better, it seemed as if my life was in absolute shambles and I was powerless.

I’ve long known that the U.S. wasn’t where I would thrive, not truly. Work work work and then nothing to show for it. Climbing the corporate ladder and sacrificing my own well being in the process, only to be overlooked for promotions. Working for decades to pay off student loans and still not being able to purchase a house or go on vacation. Having to work a second job for most of my career to be able to support myself, only to pay bills and have no money. It’s depressing. It shouldn’t be this way. Is there a way for me to get out of this cycle?

The United States of America is all that I know. And from what I see, it is time for me to move on. I want to learn to rest, to grow, and to flourish.

Spain, and specifically San Sebastián, offers what I’ve been searching for:

• A slower pace of life;

• Deep-rooted food culture and community values;

• Access to public healthcare;

• Walkable living; AND

• A chance to study gastronomy at the graduate level.

It’s more than a move. It’s a metamorphosis. Read more about my journey HERE.

Why the Basque Country?

The Basque region resonates with me because it represents resilience, heritage, and culinary brilliance. The Basque Culinary Center is not just a school, it’s a movement and a leader in innovation. The research and innovation blends food, justice, sustainability, and culture. I’ll be studying Gastronomic Sciences, a perfect fusion of my interests in food systems, wellness, technology culture, and innovation.

But beyond the academics, I chose San Sebastián because it’s one of the few places where I immediately felt both anonymous and welcome. The coastline, the pintxos culture, the language diversity—it feels like a place where I can stretch into something new. Read more about the Basque Culture on my PAGE.

And don’t even get me started on the new Gastronomic Open Ecosystem set to open this fall. It is a one-of-a-kind new research hub that combines test kitchens, test restaurants, sensory labs, sustainability research labs, technology labs, gastronomy lecture halls, agricultural displays and an auditorium. Seriously, check it out HERE.

It is truly the most amazing place and I can’t wait to be a part of it! In just a few short months I will be learning from the top gastronomic researchers and innovators in the world!

A Solo Leap—But Not Alone

I’m doing this move solo. But I’m not without roots. My story is shaped by the people I’ve cared for, the systems I’ve navigated, and the deep desire to build something that feels like mine. I’m taking those stories with me…and sharing them with you.

This blog will be part memoir, part guidebook. A place where I document the highs and lows of moving abroad as a neurodivergent, justice-minded woman navigating life on her own terms.

Whether you’re here for the food, the healing, the expat stories, or the adventure - I’m so glad you’re here.

Let’s go.