Are You Excited For Spain?

This is the most common question Jeffrey and I hear. Exciting is part of the reason we are doing this adventure. However, the answer to this question continues to evolve. To tell you the truth, I’m not always excited. Currently,  I’m full of anticipation, I’m weary of the unknown and I’m sad to miss my friends and family. But, As I often spend time visualizing our adventures, I discover the excitement in the dream about to unravel.

As for the kids, they are prepared. It’s hard to be excited as a child not knowing what to expect. What I have come to realize is that our children trust us and our decisions. Since this has been a long term plan with much family discussion and contemplation, we believe they believe us.

Why did we decide to do this?

The concept began 16 or so years ago soon after Jeffrey and I were first married. We started to dream about traveling the world for a year. As the stories unfolded so did the idea of what this adventure will look like. There were thoughts of China, Israel, or continuous world travel. There were talks about home schooling. We discussed how Jeffrey would work remotely and how it would effect the business. There were multiple conversations about when would be the ideal time to travel considering everyones’ ages and responsibilities. We chatted late into the night about how we want to live our lives. So, now we are doing it. We are living our lives.

Why Barcelona?

Roughly, four years ago, Jeffrey ran across an article in an entranpeneur magazine that featured a family of five who had relocated to Spain for one year. We looked at the picture of this Jewish family of three with similar aged children and then looked each other and smiled believing we found our future. Jeffrey communicated with this man. Their family became our role model and we were invited to visit them at their New York apartment to brunch about Barcelona. They shared their stories, their emotions  and their challenges related to their journey. This was the point of initial and ongoing conversations as a family about Barcelona. This family has been extremely instrumental and supportive in our decision to move forward. One poignant thing that drew me to pursue this dream was not something about the actual experience they had overseas, but the simplicity of their lives upon their return to the States. For example, we spooned ice cream into our mouths out of the same glasses that we drank our wine from at the beginning of the meal.

Will the kids go the school?

Yes, the kids will go the school. The American School of Barcelona. The school contains approximately 60 kids per grade. All three kids will be on the same campus and the same schedule. 9 am – 4 pm. Our children will be in grades 5, 8 and 9. The school is about a twenty minute bus ride from the neighborhood we will live in. They will be taught in English with an hour of Spanish daily.

Where will you live?

We did it. We found an apartment in Turo Parc.  It turns out, we are renting the very first apartment we toured on our first day in Barcelona during my very first visit to Spain. I find human behavior interesting. This has not and will not be the last time we return to our initial selection, for anything. However, I am now faithfully considering always choosing the first option  as a time and emotion saving technique. If you haven’t tried it, consider it.

How can I thank you? (This is my question to all of you)

Providing answers to everyone who has shown interest in our upcoming experience creates confidence and security in our decision. I thank you for showing support and curiousity and for providing us with additional thoughts to contemplate and discuss. Keep the questions coming!!