This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ethan Spibey, 33, a consultant who lives in Barcelona. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Twice a month, I commute from Barcelona to London: landing at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning and catching the 6 p.m. flight back on Wednesday.
It sounds like a hassle, but waking up in one of the world’s most amazing cities instead of an unremarkable London suburb is worth an extra hour or two of commuting each month.
I fell in love with Barcelona
I spent a year in Barcelona in 2013 while studying economics and Spanish as part of my four-year degree in the UK. I loved everything about the city: the food, the culture, the beaches. Plus, it’s relatively affordable, the people are beautiful, and the weather is amazing. I knew it was only a matter of time before I went back.
After I graduated in 2014 and started my career in London, I returned to Barcelona almost every year.
It showed me how easy the journeys were and that commuting between the UK and Spain was viable. There were multiple flights a day, and return tickets typically cost around £60 ($80) compared to £130 ($174) for my monthly railcard in London.
Life is also much better value in Barcelona than in London. At the restaurant beneath our apartment, it is hard to spend more than £35 on a meal for two, and coffees cost roughly half what we paid in London.
But years passed, and I still hadn’t made the move.
I chose risk over stability
By my early 30s, I was well-established in Westminster, the political center of the UK, as a director at a communications agency. But by 2024, I felt like I was staring down the barrel of a life I didn’t want: one built around promotions, rising rents, and living in suburbia with a Toyota.
I don’t plan to have children, so I didn’t have the usual excuses for choosing stability over risk.
Aside from my husband and family, striving for independence was the thing that mattered to me most. Relocating to another country felt like the single most independent — and thrilling — thing I could do with my life.
In the summer of 2024, my husband and I committed to moving to Barcelona.
Courtesy of Ethan Spibey
Then came the question of what to do about work.
As a self-employed stock trader, my husband could work from anywhere. I knew I couldn’t move to Barcelona with my job because of their policies and the tax implications. That left me with two options: finding a new role with a Spanish employer or starting my own business.
Quitting my job and launching a UK-based consultancy while living mostly in Spain felt exciting and made the most sense, because I could still leverage my UK-based network.
At the end of 2024, I left my job and launched Born Advisory, a communications business that provides bespoke training to CEOs to help them connect more effectively with people through interviews and public speaking. I named it Born Advisory, after my favourite neighbourhood in Barcelona, El Born.
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
You can make excuses for years, but life is short
Getting a visa was slow but straightforward because I’m married to a German and therefore qualified for a spousal visa. Because Germany and Spain are both in the European Union, citizens can live and work freely across member states. Without that route, I would have needed an entrepreneurial or digital nomad visa, both of which are harder to secure.
My visa was approved in 2025 after more than six months of waiting.
When I travel to London for meetings, I usually stay with friends, but I can also book a budget hotel room for about £100 when necessary. As a business expense, it’s negligible.
Coutesy of Ethan Spibey
The mental health benefits far outweigh any cost or inconvenience. The opportunity to recalibrate my life was far more important to me than the stability and predictability of a job.
My clients say they are very happy with me, and I think that’s because I’m so much more personally invested in my work than I was when I was just taking home a salary.
Ultimately, in 2024, I asked myself, “If not now, when?” You can make excuses for years, but life is short. I’m glad I eventually made the decision to relocate.
This is the first time I’ve taken absolute responsibility for what I want to do with my life — and it has turned out to be the most refreshing and invigorating decision I’ve ever made.
