It has been wildly busy for us this past month as we celebrated living in Spain for eight months this May. We have embraced the slower-pace life living in Spain and so the last few weeks have reminded us of our U.S. fast pace that we prefer to forget (ha). Between a move to a new flat and a bucket list experience for all of us, it felt necessary to recap the last few weeks:

Real Madrid

When we moved to Madrid, we had no idea how difficult it would be to secure tickets for a Real Madrid game. With a house full of sports lovers, it was on the top of our list to experience. We were so surprised to find out that regardless of the amount of money you were willing to spend for tickets, you really needed to know someone who had connection with Real Madrid to get tickets. Also, many tickets sold on third party sites like StubHub ES can be fraudulent, as it is less regulated than similar ticketing offices in the U.S.

It wasn’t until I connected with Lena, a fellow expat living in Valencia, Spain, that our dream of seeing a Real Madrid game became a reality. Lena, with family connections in FIFA, let me know that she could secure us four tickets for a Tuesday night game. They ended up being the best seats we have ever sat in for an event, four rows from the field, and it gave our family a sports experience that we’ll never forget! As I focus less on my blog and more on my Instagram community development (along with launching a YouTube channel to help other future expats navigate a move abroad!), we were reminded of how truly valuable a social media network can be.

A New Flat

We’ve moved! Well, we’ve moved in Spain, about two blocks over from our original flat. The first apartment we stayed in for almost eight months in Madrid was a great starter option: it was a very small, hotel-like room that gave the boys a room to share (which doubled as Logan’s office), a very small starter kitchen in the family room and our bedroom. We were grateful to find anything right away as we found it very hard to secure housing as an American moving to Madrid. However, the time came that we outgrew the space and needed a little bigger home.

The bros now have their own bedrooms again which they’re thrilled to have and we have a very large kitchen: it’s almost the size of our farmhouse kitchen! We also have a dedicated laundry room (although it’s outdoors here in Spain!), a large balcony and an ensuite area in our master bedroom for Logan’s office. While it’s still small, it is working perfectly for our family for this season of continuing to live in Valdebebas, Madrid.

Now that we’ve putter deeper roots down in Madrid as our boys settle in their friendships at school and new routines, Madrid is home for us. While we’re grateful to know that we have the farmhouse in South Carolina both as an income source and a future possibility of returning as a forever home again, for now, Madrid is it. Any mention of leaving Madrid as our boys in a frenzy, now that this is home to them and us. And so, more adventures in Madrid, Spain and beyond are in store for this crew!