Natalia Costa
- My husband loved his hometown, but he moved a few hours away so we could live in the same place.
- Over the years, we've built a beautiful life in Barcelona, but I know he misses his home.
- Now, I'm ready to move even further away — and at first, I worried about asking that of my husband.
When my husband and I first met, we were both 23, full of energy and big dreams.
I had just graduated and was living in Barcelona, where I was born and raised. He lived in Peñíscola, the seaside town in Spain where I spent my vacations, a couple of hours away.
He had built a world there full of friends, family, and joy, and ran his own local business. As he later told me, he never imagined that anything — or anyone — would change his lifestyle.
It was mid-August when we first kissed. What followed was an intense roller coaster of love. A little like Sandy in "Grease," though, I felt our story wasn't going to end just because summer did.
After dating long-distance, we built a life together in Barcelona
Natalia Costa
For the next nine months, we experienced all the misunderstandings that come with a long-distance relationship, but we also missed each other deeply and visited each other whenever we could.
There were tough times — especially when I left the country altogether for a short-term job in California — but finally, in 2007, he got a place in Barcelona so that we could be together.
I was building my journalism career in Barcelona, and creating a home base in the city felt essential. I wanted us to be together, but I wasn't ready to leave the work and opportunities I had there.
My husband's choice to leave his small Mediterranean hometown and laid-back lifestyle for Barcelona — and get a new job here — was one of the most generous things anyone's ever done for me.
Every time we visited his family in Peñíscola, I could see how much he missed it. He would take in the salty air, listen to the waves, and admire the imposing, restored castle that overlooks the town.
We continued to build a life together in Barcelona, and got married in 2015. I knew that living here was bittersweet for him: As much as he loved our life, part of him still belonged to that little town by the sea.
Last year, we finally managed to buy a small place of our own in Peñíscola. We visit roughly once a month and spend most of the summer there.
It has become our way of keeping one foot in the life he gave up for me.
Now, I'm ready to leave Barcelona
Natalia Costa
More recently, I've started craving adventure: living abroad, seeing new places, and building a life somewhere unfamiliar. I also want to explore new career opportunities and put my journalism experience to work in another country. I want to leave Barcelona.
At first, I was nervous about bringing this up to him. Even though my husband has never formed a deep emotional attachment to Barcelona, it felt like a big ask.
He'd already left his hometown for me once, and now I was asking him to consider another move — potentially, a much further one.
To my surprise, though, my husband was thrilled when I told him I wanted to live abroad. It helps that he's now working a remote role, giving him the flexibility to work anywhere.
He even started sending me job listings in European capitals and encouraging me to travel to new places.
We agreed we'll keep our place in Peñíscola for Spanish summers, and potentially rent it out during the sunny spring and autumn months. Although moving abroad would put us farther from his hometown and family, we'd still have a home there to return to.
I'm still not sure where we'll move or when, but I'm actively applying for opportunities in Paris, Brussels, and London, while also exploring ways to build on my journalism career as a correspondent elsewhere in Europe.
Where we land will likely depend on the work. We've built a wonderful life in Barcelona, but somehow, it feels as though we've completed this level. I'm ready for the next one, and I'm lucky to have a partner who's encouraging me to press play.
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