Why I Left America and Moved to Spain

I am a Spaniard who worked 5 years in the US (Atlanta and Miami) and had a really good time there. With a good job life is easier and simpler in the US, but I found it not to be so rich and complex as in Europe for the less materialistic aspects of life. Cities in the US are not as charming, they don't "talk" to you, they have a fractal structure (replicate a piece 1,000 times and you get a city). Once, I had not visited Spain for a year and a half and when I came to Madrid I was able to appreciate it, because I did not pay attention to all Spain has before moving to the US (I was stunned as a tourist but with all the local knowledge in my head). I have also stayed several months in Mexico and Chile and visited up to 50 other countries for work or leisure. I think Spain has an excellent balance of many things except the job market. Nevertheless, I prefer Spain to live over any other nation, but as I am from Spain I might be biased. I would say the US is good to earn money and Spain is good for vacation or retirement, but cost of life is much less so maybe yo don't need many earnings anyway. I saved money in the US because I kept my frugal Spanish mindset and did not fall in spending as much as Americans do; it really paid off in Spain. Last fact: Even with insurance I did not find healthcare to be very good in the US. I prefer Spanish doctors because they care more and are excellent, both private and public. Private healthcare is quite affordable compared to the US and you don't need one really, you can rely on public healthcare too (although waiting time for non urgent interventions is a problem).

You literally talked about all the struggles I have always had about the US. My parents immigrated here and I was born and raised in a typical American suburb. I have traveled a lot throughout my life and when I got a chance to live in Spain for 1.5 years I felt "at home". I have been dreaming of going back for a decade now. I always felt like I was the only one who felt this way, but apparently, a lot of people do. New subscriber!

My favorite part of living in Europe is that you can walk everywhere, well, perhaps not during Summer very hot days, but you can take clean and efficient buses, the Metro (I’m from Madrid) and stop everywhere for a bite. I’ve seen so many people who studied in American and after so many years decided that enough is enough and came back to Europe. Welcome to Spain and good luck on this new adventure. Witamy!

I grew up in Spain, and I've lived in the US, in various places, for many years. I'm amazed at how well you summarized life in the US, having lived there for only 14 months. I couldn't agree more with your characterization. Congrats, you got yourself a new subscriber.

Mari you're actually hilarious 😂 this is such a perfect video. I try explaining how car dependency affects our mental health in America and people are so used to their bubbles that it doesn't even make sense to them. I also work as a sign language interpreter in schools and have been in an active shooter situation. We can't wait to move to Spain for so many reasons!!

I went to visit my son in the US. He lives in a suburb of Austin with his girlfriend. They both have cars that they need to get to work. After three days, I told him to find me a hotel in the city center. It was cheaper than having to take an Uber to get a coffee.I can go days without having a real coffee or real bread, but what I don't understand is that for everything I have to go by car. I have two legs and I like walking a lot.

España y Polonia son dos paises europeos equivalentes,uno al norte y otro al sur,pero con historias similares,ambos han tenido una etapa de esplendor en el pasado,ambos han vivido la dureza de la guerra en el siglo XX,ambos han tenido opresion durante decadas y ambos han sabido salir del pozo y transformarse en paises europeos potentes dentro de la UE.Somos distintos,pero parecidos.Saludos.

Thank you for this video. It's what I needed for more reassurance. I am Ukrainian who has been living in the US for the past 17 years. In the last 2 years I have started traveling a lot, and being in European countries or others, coming back to America felt super sad: food, people, culture... it just feels wrong on many levels for me now. And all the things you talk about in the video are so true! I am traveling more in hopes to find my new home. and Europe feels more fit for me. Which city in Spain do you live in, if you don't mind me asking.

Preach - American suburbs are the WORST! And pedestrian friendly places are in high demand, therefore more expensive.

Food on all parts of Spain is great, but mediterranean food is just amazing. You will love it I'm sure. Enjoy your stay.

I am so happy I found your channel. I fell in love with Spain during my first visit to Barcelona and Figueres in 2016 and have been trying to plan how to stay there for a longer period ever since. We visited Cadaques and Girona in 2018 and Santiago de Compostela, Madrid and Valencia in 2021 after Covid slowed our plans. We are hoping to return next year to Malaga, Seville and Granada. I would really like to move there but am hesitant because of age and health concerns. I completely agree with your assessment of the US which is why it’s quite painful to return after a trip. Luckily I live in a walkable city and have since I ran screaming from the suburbs of Philadelphia after high school. I am grateful for any tips or advice you can offer and will be tuning in every week. Thanks and blessings!

Just a slight inaccuracy on the healthcare in Europe. Healthcare is different from country to country, it's not always the case you get insurance through employment. For example in Spain there is a national healthcare system that automatically covers everyone and there are also private clinics, doctors and hospitals that health insurance can cover in different extances according to plan, in network, out of network, etc. One thing is definitely different: everyone has access to affordable healthcare and noone has to decide between treatment and food at the table.

I'm American and this is spot on. I desperately want to get to Europe, but the path to get there and live legally before retirement is very difficult.

The most realistic video on this subject, period.

I haven't experienced the states or many other countries, but I've been living in Spain for four years now and I won't exchange it for any other country. I absolutely love it.

I think what resonated most for me is the walkability in suburbs. I live in Canada, in one of the suburb communities outside of Toronto. The most depressing thing I find in walking in the area I am in is that the building are flat, boring, and an eyesore. Theres no charm. There are sidewalks, some bike lanes, parks, but theres something missing. Not to far away is the city of Burlington. Many mixed use buildings preserved, close to the Lakeshore, many choices of cafes, bakeries, restaurants and very walkable. It may not have the wonderful architecture of Europe, but even the homes are wonderful Victorian style places with well kept gardens. Unfortunately, its slowly being ruined by huge condo towers going up in the immediate vicinity. Thats the thing about Canada and the US. Both provide economic opportunity (US more so) so they draw in a lot of people to live and work, but that draw greatly reshapes the city scapes, and preservation does not become a mindset. We are quick to tear down, pave over, and build cheaply. On the other hand, there is something that suburbs do quite well. In North America, you hear a lot of people starting their business "in their garage" or "in their basement". Its because a suburban style home does provide space to do hobbies, persue interests, keep various tools and so forth. Its a form of "productive fun" that statistically helps to generate a lot of new snall businesses. To me, an ideal city has an old and preserved downtown, Victorian style homes with large backyards, actual basements and garages, with bike lanes, wide sidewalks, but common meeting areas in various neighbourhoods that invites people in to gather and be sociable. They could be parks but with European style kiosks that have seating and serve basic snacks, beer, wine, mulled wine and warm cider in winter months, and make a point in having farmers markets. I feel a lot can be done to make things better.

Your videos are great. This one made us laugh and is so spot on. It’s refreshing to hear an honest take from someone who wasn’t born in the US and has seen different ways of living and can make an actual comparison. We all know about the food, the car culture, the dangerous streets and transportation but your common sense take on just walking down the street as well as the layout of cities and suburbs and the impractical way things are was simple and brilliant. You need to do another video that shows in comparison the adjustment phase once you got to Valencia. You’re crushing these videos. We look forward to each one. PS sad irony there was yet another senseless mass shooting at a high school near Atlanta today. US definitely has so much but does so little with it.

I lived in US and Spain, best video I saw so far covering most of the topics, you deserve more subscribers, way to go. Thx

Hi, nice vid, tks for sharing. I would add that in Europe in general, people work to live, they don´t live to work. That means that we devote our free time to simply live and enjoy life., family, friends instead of dedicating that time to work just to get more money. Socializing is done on a daily basis., a simple stroll around commercial streets, having a drink with friends (and kids included) or even going to the cinema or a museum or whatever activity you want. Another important point is the fact that Americans don´t have the labour rights we have in Europe, namely 30 days holidays per year, paid sickness leave, paid maternity/paternity leave, 35-40h/week working schedule (if you work more hour for any reason, they are paid), minimum wage, etc. I think that Americans are basicaly an unhappy society, no matter what you earn. Everything is focused on "having things" and they forget to realy live., to enjoy and to seek happiness.

US is good for business opportunies but quality of life no way..