I moved from the United States to Spain, I started my own business, no regrets

• I grew up in California but at the age of 30, I no longer felt like her lifestyle was for me.
• I moved to Spain to teach English and I finally ended up starting my own business as a freelancer.
• I thought that living life meant staying busy, but my time in Spain changed my prospects.

I was born and I grew up in California and I thought that living my life meant keeping me busy.

Thus, when I was offered the opportunity to move to Jaén – the capital of a province located in the Andalusia region in Spain surrounded by mountains – I was worried.

Unlike its more famous and larger neighbors – Granada, Seville and Málaga – Jaén is not known to be a living place.

However, after having lived here for five years, Jaén taught me that slowing down and enjoying the subtle beauties around me makes life more pleasant.

Why did I left California

After spending most of my life in the sunny state, I wanted to see more people.

In 2017, I moved to Panama for two years to teach English. In my absence, my friends have continued their lives, advancing their career and getting married.

As I returned to California – I had just been 30 years old – some of my friends had their first child. I felt like a stranger and I forced to understand my life like everyone around me.

I spent three months in this state of limbo until I decided that California was no longer for me.

I started again in Spain

When I came to Spain, I spent my first three years teaching English, but I finally left the program due to a low salary – 700 euros (around $ 730) per month – and payments late.

Looking for a different option, I applied and I was accepted for a autónomo (Independent) Visa. The start of my own business in Spain as an independent writer came with his own challenges.

The visa process was demanding. This forced me to write a business plan in Spanish, to provide documents from Spain and the United States and to complete an interview in Spanish.

In addition, even if the information to be applied seem simple online, the immigration office asked me for additional documents such as customer contracts, bank statements and tax documents that were not listed on the site Web.

I also pay more taxes on independent work than the United States. In the United States, there is a tax on independent work of 15.3%, but in Jaén, I faced a progressive tax rate between 19%and 47%. If my income increases, the percentage that I must pay too.

Fortunately, the lower cost of living in Jaén helps me to balance higher tax rates.

I spend about $ 100 less in grocery store per month compared to California. My rent is $ 417 per month compared to more than $ 1,100 that I paid in the United States. And because Jaén is a city accessible on foot with public transport, I do not need a car, which allows me to save around $ 500 per month on car payments and insurance.

I do not intend to leave my life in Spain

With the money I save, I can pursue interests and passions that I could not have afforded in the United States. For example, twice a week, I take flamenco lessons in the morning and Latin dance lessons at night.

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My weekends are filled with flamenco, salsa dance, hiking and eating house paella shows with friends.

My social life has also improved. I meet friends every week for brunch because a tostada and a cup of tea cost around 6 euros ($ 7). In California, getting out of breakfast was something that I could only afford to do once a month.

Even if Jaén does not have the population or the attractions of big cities, it does not play small in events. Each weekend, there is a city fair, massive bonfires known as Lumbres, live music in the streets, and much more.

Whenever I need a little more excitement, I can take a blabla bus, train or car (a driving sharing service) in a larger city like Granada, Seville or Madrid and have a avant-taste of the living of the big city.

Even with my upper intermediate Spanish, adaptation to the various accents of the Spanish people was an adjustment. In addition, there are fewer vegetarian and vegan options here. Overall, however, I can’t complain.

I am content with my life in Spain, and I do not see myself trying to reintegrate American culture. I am on a two -year visa and I plan to renew once I have reached my limit.