Hi, I’m Sarah! I’m a midwesterner turned expat, now living in Madrid with my husband, Sam, our cat, Spud, and Golden Retriever, Charlie. A year ago, we packed up our lives in Indiana and moved to Spain in search of something different: a slower pace, more adventure, and a life that felt more intentional.
Everyday Abroad is where I share honest stories about our experience moving abroad — from navigating the visa process and finding a pet-friendly apartment to discovering the joys (and surprises) of everyday life in a new country. Whether you’re seriously planning your own move or just curious about what life is like abroad, this blog is here to offer insight, encouragement, and real-life reflections on what it means to start fresh abroad.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
My Moving Abroad Story
Ever since my first trip out of the U.S. in high school, I have dreamed about living in another country. Something about the newness and adventure that every day could bring was extremely appealing to me, and that spirit never left as I went into my 20s.
In college, I studied abroad in Alcalá de Henares, just 40 minutes from Madrid, where I lived with a host family and fell in love with Spanish culture. I walked to class everyday, got to know my neighbors, enjoyed family paella lunches on Sundays, and felt what it was really like to be a local in Spain.
After graduating college, I met my now husband, Sam, who shares this adventurous spirit. We bonded immediately over our love for travel and had big dreams about our futures. Where would we live? What languages would we learn? Where would we travel?
Over the course of our relationship, we made strategic decisions with our careers to be able to work and live in another country in the future. It took about 4-5 years to get there, but it certainly paid off. After getting married in Mexico in 2024, we immediately hit the ground running with planning our move abroad.
Spain was the ultimate destination for us since we both speak Spanish (Sam is a native Spanish speaker, and I can hold a conversation). With the support of my company, we applied and were approved for our visas within the next 6 months!
The tough part wasn’t just moving ourselves, but moving our dog and cat too. Our sweet Golden, Charlie, weighs about 90 lbs and wasn’t able to fly in cabin with us. After tons of research and ultimately hiring an expert, we found the most comfortable way to get him and our cat to Spain.
Now, we’ve been in Madrid for over a year and are absolutely loving it. There are certainly lots of hard moments and panics about being so far away from friends and family back home, but I think the pros still outweigh any cons. We’ve traveled to Morocco, Ibiza, Malta, France, and more just within the last year and a half, and have so many more adventures ahead of us.
My promise is to always share the truth about life abroad, and show you a real glimpse into what it’s like — not just the glamorized version.
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