"Between selling our home in Connecticut, finding a place to live in Spain, and figuring out where our sons would enroll in school, I deprioritized my new social life. I assumed we'd naturally meet people once we got here, and we eventually did. But those first few months were lonely. We arrived in August, a month before my sons' school year started, and many locals were still away on summer trips."
"If I were doing the move over, I'd join related regional and professional groups, connect with families in our area, and start building relationships before I even left the US. Having even one friend waiting for me in Spain would've made a huge difference."
"My husband and I planned to start our boys in an international school to ease their transition into a new country and language, w"
A family of four moved from Connecticut to a Madrid suburb in August 2025 with only two semesters of college Spanish between them and no prior international living experience. Despite extensive preparation including research, spreadsheets, and planning, they encountered unexpected challenges. The family prioritized logistics like home sales, housing, and school enrollment while neglecting social preparation. The first months proved lonely as locals were away on summer vacation and school hadn't started. The parents learned that building community connections before departure, thoroughly vetting school curricula, and asking detailed questions about educational approaches would have eased their transition significantly.
Read at Business Insider
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