• Kenzie Wallace, 27, moved from California to Spain after she graduated from college in 2018.
• She loves the culture, safety, opportunities to travel, and relative affordability.
• She hadn't originally planned to move abroad, but now she doesn't plan to return to the US.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kenzie Wallace, a 27-year-old from San Diego who moved to Spain in 2018. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a year early. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wasn't ready to settle down and get a job.

I was thinking about what was next — what would I do for myself?

The most obvious option was a master's teaching credential program. I started doing everything one does for that: preparing for the GRE, volunteering, and working with a professor who was a mentor of mine.

One day, the professor asked me, "Why do you want to do this program?" I don't remember what I said to him, but whatever it was, it wasn't convincing.

He told me, "You've studied Spanish before and are good at it. Why not take those skills, go abroad, and teach English in a Spanish-speaking country while you try to figure out your life?"

I had never thought about moving to Spain until that conversation. After doing some research, about a month later, I found a teaching English program in Madrid and decided, "I'm going to do that."

At first, I thought I would stay in Spain for a year and then return to the US and get a job. But about three days after moving to Madrid, I knew I had finally found my place.

I took a leap of faith moving to Spain

I was 20 — just a week shy of my 21st birthday — when I boarded the plane to Spain in 2018.

I was lucky that my parents supported most of my way through university, so I wasn't coming to Spain with a lot of student loans or debt. I also worked at Starbucks during college and had about $12,000 in savings.

Still, I didn't know anyone and wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into.

I moved to the country on an English teaching visa through Spain's language assistant program. The program contracts native English speakers to work in public schools, teaching English immersion classes.

I had applied before arriving in the country, secured a part-time teaching job that earned me about $1,000 a month, and was assigned to a school. For my first two weeks in Madrid, I stayed with a host family

When those two weeks were up, I had to figure out housing on my own.

I had to figure out life in Spain on my own

Eventually, I found an apartment on real-estate website Idealista for €530 ($557) in a shared flat with six other Spanish girls. I was the only one who spoke English.

If it weren't for that first apartment, I would never have felt truly connected to Spain.

Though I made friends — American friends through mutual connections, Facebook groups, and colleagues I worked with at my school — it was my roommates who showed me what Spain was truly like.

You can learn about a country and how to speak its language from a book, but it's not the same as putting yourself out there.

I fell in love with Madrid

After my first year in Madrid, I decided to stay another year, which eventually turned into, "I'm just going to stay for as long as I can."

I realized I had my whole life ahead of me to get a master's or a job, but I wouldn't have this opportunity forever.

Spanish people are really friendly and inviting, and the country's proximity to other European countries makes me feel like the world is at my fingertips.

I liked the person I was becoming in Spain. I felt more independent, resourceful, and stronger. l knew that my future was all up to me, and that I could carve my own path.

It felt incredibly freeing and I wanted to keep moving in that direction.

I made a life for myself in Madrid

I've been working at Business and Language College Spain, or BLC Spain, since May of 2023.

I have working rights now through a partnership visa, so I no longer have to worry about the restrictions of an English teaching visa.

At my job, I work with international students coming to Spain, helping them navigate the things I once had to figure out on my own.

Most students don't know how to find housing, open a bank account, or get a phone number. It's rewarding to guide them through those processes.

I have a Spanish partner. We've been together for four years, and almost a year ago, we bought a two-bedroom apartment in Madrid for €240,000 ($252,295). It's located in the eastern part of the city.

The apartment is 77 square meters (about 829 square feet), which is a big improvement since we previously rented a one-bedroom place. We wanted to be able to have guests and set up an office.

Our apartment isn't extravagant, but it's a great starter home, and we're really happy there.

Our neighborhood is great because even though it's a little outside the city center, it's very well-connected. We're also on a major street with many bars, restaurants, and shops. It's definitely less central than we were before, but we like the neighborhood vibe.

Living in Spain has some downsides

My biggest complaint about Spain is the lack of organization and efficiency.

It's tough when you're trying to renew your visa or worrying that your paperwork won't be processed in time. However, it's been a good growth experience for me.

I've been in Spain for so long that I no longer see everything through fresh, rose-colored glasses.

Inflation is a big problem worldwide, and Madrid is much less affordable now than it was seven years ago.

I do think some of the blame is placed on digital nomads — people who come here with high salaries, which drives up rent prices and affects locals who are on lower Spanish salaries.

While I don't know what the future holds, I still feel like Madrid is a place where expats are welcome.

I don't plan to move back to the US

There are a few major reasons I don't plan on moving back to the States.

One is the sense of safety. In Madrid, violent crime rates are very low. I can walk around at 3 a.m. without worrying about my safety. It's a comforting feeling that I've come to take for granted.

Another major factor is the cost of living.

The lifestyle I envision for my future just feels more feasible in Spain. Not including my partner's half of everything, my cost of living is probably about €750 euros a month ($788).

Spain would be an excellent place to raise a family, which I hope to do one day. Education is much more affordable, with schooling free from the age of three. Healthcare is also public and free.

Overall, I think my quality of life in Spain is much greater than what I've ever experienced in the States.

I miss my family, but we've grown closer since I moved to Spain. Over the past four years, I've made more of an effort to meet up with them. We get together once a year.

I don't feel like I've missed out on living back home. My 20s have been amazing. I finally feel surrounded by people who understand me, share similar values and interests, and have the same vibe.

When I got to Madrid, something just clicked. I wouldn't change any of it at all.