We left America for Spain and bought a house for $72,000.

Last year, my wife Ruthie and I made a decision that many in our lives thought might have been too risky.

I worked in marketing for a large American company, and Lucy worked in the mental health field. We lived with our now 7 year old daughter in a cozy beach bungalow in Ormond Beach, Florida. We thought most people were living stable lives. But we have reached a point where stability is not the same as fulfillment.

For years, we worked multiple jobs, took on side hustles, and dedicated our free time to handmade crafts and artistic endeavors. All the extra money went toward our goal of building a life with more freedom, access to nature, and quality time as a family. I felt that if I really wanted this, I had to make a change.

We decided to try Spanish. I’m Dominican-American, my wife is Cuban-American, and we both speak Spanish. I thought that using Spanish would make getting used to everyday life a little easier. I also lived in Spain 20 years ago when I worked as an English teacher.

Over the course of five months, we rented a house in Florida, pulled our daughter out of school, and packed all of our family memorabilia and art supplies into one container and shipped it across the Atlantic.

We boarded a plane to Spain with no guarantee that everything would be okay. Our digital nomad visa was still being processed and we did not receive approval until we arrived. It was one of the biggest leaps of faith we’ve ever made.

When we first arrived we thought we would need to rent. During my stay, I stayed at an Airbnb in Alicante. We spent six weeks looking at properties and quickly discovered that many rentals were more expensive than we expected. I remember saying to my wife: “How do I buy this?”

Then, in July of 2025, while watching videos on a YouTube channel we had been following for years, we came across a 1,600-square-foot, five-bedroom, two-bathroom home for sale in Castile de Campos, an Andalusian village in southern Spain.

We jumped on it and bought a house for about $72,000. The price seemed very unreasonable, but I was able to pay the entire amount in cash. We don’t have a mortgage.

We typically pay about $350 for groceries, $116 for water, $116 for electricity, $116 for phone and internet, $230 for health insurance, $127 for accountant, $103 for Social Security, and $58 for home insurance. For a family of three, the monthly living budget would be approximately $1,216.

We are surrounded by olive groves and mountains, and our neighbors looked out for each other and were able to make this place their own.

In April we opened a creative studio in the village. We hold workshops in pottery, sewing, nature-inspired art, handmade crafts, and more. We want to provide a space where tourists and locals can slowly immerse themselves in art.

The first month’s revenue was only $50. While some might see that as discouraging, we saw it as proof that someone believed in our idea enough to pay for it. That was enough to keep us going. We were also able to reduce initial costs in the early stages by sending supplies across the ocean.

I continue to work as a freelance marketing strategist and my monthly income typically ranges from approximately $7,000 to $9,000 depending on my current contract. That income allowed him to continue upgrading his properties and gradually build his business, rather than expecting to support his family right away.

We invested approximately $60,000 in remodeling our home, including a guesthouse, pool, and outdoor area. Our home retreat “Stay & Create” is scheduled to officially open to the public in May 2027.

We love Castilla de Campos for its relaxing location, but there’s also plenty to do here and in surrounding villages like Iznajar, Lucena, and Baena. They always surprise us with new discoveries.

We like to go to Granada for outdoor activities, Jaén for shopping, and Cordoba for a night out in the city. All are about an hour away. It also makes traveling to places like Barcelona, ​​Madrid, and Paris more accessible and affordable.

We love Spanish food, but as a Latin family, we are also drawn to different cuisines and love exploring other cultures through food. Nearby Priego de Córdoba has some great tapas spots and fruit and vegetable stands with great fresh produce. A van comes to our village every week to deliver produce from local farms.

Our goals when we came here were to travel more, enjoy life, and spend less. We didn’t want to feel like we were on a hamster wheel all the time. We were able to do that, but we definitely also had to adapt to a new environment.

Moving across the country takes courage, but it’s not just the big moments that require adjustment. It’s learning when stores close, how to get what you need without the usual conveniences, and how to build a routine that works for your family. It’s these small details that will make your new place feel more like home over time.

Without a doubt, the biggest surprise since moving here has been the pace of life. In the United States, we’re used to getting things done quickly. For example, we don’t have Uber Eats where we live, and anything we deem very important might be processed tomorrow or next week.

Similarly, naps surprised us. That sounds great, but we’re still getting used to planning for it. Also, since I work with clients in the US and here, I often work across time zones, which can make my days oddly long.

All of this can be frustrating, and managing logistics and unfamiliar bureaucracy requires patience. But there’s also something beautiful about a place where you don’t have to plan every day with a focus on urgency.

In retrospect, leaving the United States was choosing to pursue a different definition of success. We’re not chasing corporate promotions or big houses. Success now looks like looking out at an olive grove in the morning, creating art with people from all over the world in the afternoon, and watching my daughter grow up in a community I love.

Alicia Sanchez is an Afro-Latinx marketing strategist and entrepreneur who helps companies build lasting relationships with their customers through email marketing, retention, bilingual strategies, and brand activation. With her wife Luci Peraza, she co-founded Felicita & Faustina, a creative studio and residency experience in Andalusia, Spain. In their writing, Alicia and Luci bring a marketer’s eye and a business owner’s perspective to entrepreneurship, creativity, and building your life on your terms.

*Conversion from EUR to USD was performed using the OANDA exchange rate of 1 EUR to 1.16 USD on September 11, 2026.