American Expats Can Still Celebrate an Amazing Thanksgiving While Living Away from Home After two years of tackling our favorite holiday here in Spain, Halloween, we’ve really got it figured out. (See previous article Why Halloween in Barcelona is Amazing) . But how in the world do you host an amazing Thanksgiving while living abroad? The food, the football, the family. All a bit foreign here! While our family back home are basting birds, cozying up to Thanksgiving Day parades on TV and putting finishing touches on apple pie, it’s just another normal day here in Spain! We can’t NOT celebrate i ..read more

Many expats and travelers experience culture shock in a new place, but what about the reverse culture shock that happens when returning home? How hard can it really be to return home after years of living abroad? Most expats focus on the initial cultural shock they experience in a foreign country. But not to be ignored is the adjustment that comes with returning home to the country you’ve always known…this time as a citizen of the world. It’s called “reverse culture shock” and refers to the emotions experienced when a person returns to where they come from but don’t fit in the way he or she us ..read more

Find out what cool places to go to and interesting things to do in Barcelona with busy kids on a rainy day. Barcelona is a vibrant and outdoorsy city full of festivals, outdoor restaurants, street performers, and days at the beach thanks to the incredible Mediterranean weather. So what’s a family with kids to do in this city on the rare occasion when it rains? While Barcelona only sees a handful of rainy days each year, getting stuck in one can be a real inconvenience. Take it from me, as an expat living here for almost four years. Compiling my list of 30 Things to do With Kids in Barcelona wa ..read more

From a fellow expat parent, here are my best tips for preparing your little ones to become expat kids! Planning for a family move can be super stressful and feel like an overwhelming list of to-do’s! So when we talk about moving overseas to a foreign country, well that’s just a whole different ballgame guys. Language barriers, cultural differences, and endless paperwork are all-consuming! It’s easy to loose sight of what’s truly important – and that is how to best prepare your kids for their move abroad and transition into becoming expats. No amount of online research can truly equip you or yo ..read more

Whether you’re into beer or champagne, the Spanish have their own unique take on cocktails and here are a few of the best. It’s true, Barcelona has some of the best restaurants and eateries in Europe! But let us not forget about the amazing cocktails served up here. From the discotecas of Barceloneta to the underground speak-easy’s of LÉixample, the Spanish have their usual unique twist on the cocktail scene. You’ll love trying out some new recipes this summer and embracing the Spanish take on some of your old favorites. One of the first things we noticed about living in Barcelona was how free ..read more

Moving to Barcelona is a dream but finding employment here can be a nightmare if you don’t have the facts and specifics. I’m often asked for advice on getting a job in Barcelona. People wonder how our family ended up moving abroad. And the truth is, we had my husband’s job as the vehicle which got us here and helped support our family’s life. We are expats. But what do you do if you’re someone that dreams of moving to this city but worries about finding employment? My husband, who has a career in Human Resources sees outstanding resumes cross his desk every day. And unfortunately they usually ..read more

Check out our favorite picks for the most family friendly hotels during your trip to Barcelona. Barcelona can be a fantastic city to visit as a family! And how you spend your days here is just as important as where you lay your heads down at night. Many of the historic and beautiful hotels we fantasize about may not be ideal for families. So you need to do your research and choose wisely! Here are some of the most family friendly hotels in Barcelona that our family personally loves. But first, a quick word to help level set your expectations. Don’t assume hotels here will have all the same lux ..read more

Tips for finding your favorite women’s clothing stores in Barcelona and how to shop here like a local. One of the most confusing things for me when first moving from the states to Barcelona as an expat was finding great women’s clothing stores. Hard to believe, I know, considering this is an enormous city! The neighborhood we live in has lots of privately owned shops for older women, none of which really spoke to my personal style. I tend to like colors, patterns, fitted clothes with some sort of glam (leather, stone, buckle, etc.) And it seemed I always walked out empty-handed when visiting t ..read more

Now is as good a time as ANY to start thinking about your next vacation and begin researching which travel companies to book with. Why you ask?! Because once this COVID-19 lockdown is a thing of the past, the travel industry will come back booming and stronger than ever. People, myself included, simply can’t wait to get back to planning the next vacation. Even if that means travel looks different than it did pre-Coronavirus. Yes, there will be tighter restrictions in place for monitoring the health of travelers and upholding stringent sanitization methods. But that won’t stop the wanderlusters ..read more

When my husband and I found out our family would be relocating to Barcelona, one of the things I was most excited about was finding a home in the best neighborhood.  I happen to love the entire process of house hunting! This was our very first experience living abroad and I couldn’t help but fantasize about our dream apartment.  An old world-styled space perfectly renovated with modern luxuries but still maintaining that gorgeous Spanish charm.  Views of the Barcelona Cathedral, a short walk to the beach and the melodies of street performers outside my window were all things I t ..read more