When my husband and I decided to move our four-person family from the US to Spain, we had roughly two semesters of college Spanish between us and zero experience living abroad.
We didn’t let that stop us, though. Beginning in March 2025, we researched obsessively, read books, made spreadsheets, and put together lists of pros and cons. The more research we did, the more confident we became that Spain was the correct place for our family.
Five months later, we packed up our lives and moved our 6- and 9-year-old sons from Northford, Connecticut, to Las Rozas de Madrid, a suburb northwest of the Spanish capital.
Despite our extensive preparation, lessons awaited us. After all, there’s so much to consider while moving abroad (especially with kids), and slipups are unavoidable.
That said, here are five mistakes I wish I’d avoided when my family moved.
I wish I’d started building my community abroad before we left
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. Once school started, it became easier to connect with other families. I also joined a few WhatsApp groups recommended to me by other expats.
I’m still very much in the early stages of building a network here. 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 didn’t ask the right questions about our sons’ school curricula
Rebecca Cretella
My husband and I planned to start our boys in an international school to ease their transition into a new country and language, with the goal of eventually moving them into a local Spanish school once they were fluent.
We selected an international private school that follows an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with Spanish language support. It seemed like the perfect fit — until we realized we hadn’t asked the right questions.
We failed to realize that our boys, who didn’t arrive speaking Spanish, would be learning alongside native speakers rather than building introductory skills.
They’re getting an incredible education in Spain, but it’s not the foundational language curriculum we expected. We now supplement school with online Spanish tutoring twice a week to fill the gap.
To other parents moving their school-age kids abroad to Spain, I’d recommend asking specifically about language use and requesting sample lesson plans before enrolling to see what language support looks like in practice.
Translating important documents into the local language would’ve been extremely helpful
Four months after moving, I had to undergo emergency surgery. I felt completely unprepared as I relied on Google Translate and my husband’s elementary Spanish language skills to communicate with staff.
We got through it, but “getting through it” isn’t the same as feeling safe, understood, and informed.
The scariest moment in the ER was right before I went under anesthesia. I was crying because I couldn’t understand what the professionals were saying, couldn’t communicate my allergies or medical history, and didn’t know what was about to happen.
Luckily, the staff took good care of me, but the experience was harder and more frightening than it needed to be.
Before I left the US, I should have saved a translated medical profile with my allergies, medications, and past surgeries on my phone.
I also should’ve researched how to access medical translation services, so that if something unexpected happens, I wouldn’t have to figure it out in the middle of a crisis.
We didn’t know that we couldn’t rent a car without a special driving permit
Rebecca Cretella
Las Rozas de Madrid is well-connected, so my family doesn’t own a car here. When we went to rent one for a holiday trip to Cádiz, we assumed we could do so using our US driver’s licenses, but we were wrong.
Without an International Driving Permit, renting a car was off the table. We made the best of the situation, but we were restricted in what we could see and do in Cádiz.
I regret not getting an International Driving Permit before leaving the US. It’s easy and costs $20.
Canceling our US numbers created a logistical nightmare
My husband and I both canceled our US phone numbers when we left the country, thinking we’d just use Spanish numbers instead. It was a big mistake.
Accessing our US banks and some key services required us to complete text verifications with our US numbers. So, we’ve gotten locked out of accounts, struggled with two-factor authentication, and spent hours on international calls trying to fix it.
Rather than canceling my number, I wish I’d ported it, which would’ve let me move it to an online service while keeping my number, to save us endless headaches.
Even with all the mistakes we’ve made, I’m glad my family made the move
Six months into our new life in Spain, one thing is certain: I’m so grateful for this journey.
Seeing my kids build new friendships, learn a new language, explore new places, try new foods, and gain confidence as their world expands has made every misstep worth it.
Now, we look back on them as part of our story.
