去年，我和妻子露西做了一个决定，而我们生命中许多人都认为这个决定可能风险太大。
Last year, my wife Luci and I made a decision that a lot of people in our life thought might be too risky.
我在一家大型美国公司的市场营销部门工作，露西则从事心理健康领域。我们和如今已经7岁的女儿，住在佛罗里达州奥蒙德海滩一处温馨的海滨平房里。我们拥有许多人会视为稳定的生活。但我们逐渐意识到，稳定并不等同于满足。
I was working in marketing for a large American corporation and Luci worked in the mental health field. We lived with our daughter, now 7 years old, in our cozy beach bungalow in Ormond Beach, Florida. We had what many would consider a stable life. But we'd reached a point where stability wasn't the same as fulfillment.
多年来，我们同时打着多份工，做着各种副业，把所有空闲时间都投入手工制作和艺术创作。我们把每一美元额外的收入都用于实现目标：创造一种更自由、能亲近自然、也能拥有更多家庭相处时光的生活。我们觉得，如果真的想要这种生活，就必须做出改变。
For years, we had worked multiple jobs, took on side hustles, and poured our free time into handmade crafts and artistic endeavors. Every extra dollar went toward our goal of creating a life with more freedom, access to nature and quality time together as a family. It felt like if we truly wanted this, we had to make a change.
我们决定去西班牙试试。我是一名多米尼加裔美国人，妻子是古巴裔美国人，我们都会说西班牙语，因此我们知道，适应当地日常生活可能会容易一些。20年前，我曾在西班牙生活过，当时在那里担任英语教师。
We decided to try Spain. I'm Dominican-American, my wife is Cuban-American and we both speak Spanish, which we knew would likely make adapting to daily life somewhat easier. I'd also lived in Spain before, when I worked there as an English teacher 20 years ago.
在五个月里，我们把佛罗里达的房租出去，让女儿退学，收拾好家里的纪念品和艺术用品，并用一个集装箱将所有东西运过大西洋。
We decided to try Spain. I'm Dominican-American, my wife is Cuban-American and we both speak Spanish, which we knew would likely make adapting to daily life somewhat easier. I'd also lived in Spain before, when I worked there as an English teacher 20 years ago.
我们登上飞往西班牙的飞机时，并不确定一切最终是否会顺利。我们的数字游民签证仍在办理中，要等我们抵达后才能收到批准。那是我们经历过的最大胆的信念飞跃之一。
Over the course of five months we rented out our Florida home, withdrew our daughter from school, packed up our family keepsakes and our art supplies and shipped them all across the Atlantic in a single container.
寻找我们“遥不可及”的梦想之家 刚到这里时，我们以为只能租房。在安顿下来之前，我们住在阿利坎特的一套 Airbnb 民宿里。我们花了六周看房，很快便意识到，许多房源的租金都比我们预想的贵。我记得自己曾对妻子说：“我们怎么可能负担得起？”后来，2025年7月，我们在观看一个关注了多年的 YouTube 频道的视频时，偶然看到西班牙南部安达卢西亚村庄卡斯蒂尔德坎波斯有一栋待售房屋：五间卧室、两间卫生间，面积1600平方英尺。卡斯蒂尔德坎波斯的壮丽景色。
We boarded that plane for Spain with no guarantee that everything would work out. Our Digital Nomad Visa was still being processed, and we wouldn't receive approval until after we had already arrived. It was one of the biggest leaps of faith we'd ever taken. Finding our 'impossible' dream home When we first arrived, we assumed we would have to rent. While we got situated, we stayed in an Airbnb in Alicante. We spent six weeks looking at properties and quickly realized that many rentals were more expensive than we had expected. I remember saying to my wife, "How are we going to afford this?" Then, in July of 2025, while watching video from a YouTube channel we had followed for years, we came across a 5-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1600-square-foot house for sale in the Andalusian village of Castil de Campos, in southern Spain.
我们立刻抓住机会，以约7.2万美元买下了这栋房子。这个价格低得几乎令人难以置信，但我们能够全额付清，没有房贷。
Finding our 'impossible' dream home When we first arrived, we assumed we would have to rent. While we got situated, we stayed in an Airbnb in Alicante. We spent six weeks looking at properties and quickly realized that many rentals were more expensive than we had expected. I remember saying to my wife, "How are we going to afford this?" Then, in July of 2025, while watching video from a YouTube channel we had followed for years, we came across a 5-bedroom, 2-bathroom 1600-square-foot house for sale in the Andalusian village of Castil de Campos, in southern Spain.
每个月，我们一家三口通常要支付约350美元的食品杂费、116美元的水费、116美元的电费、116美元的手机和宽带费、230美元的医疗保险费、127美元的会计师费、103美元的社会保障费以及58美元的房屋保险费。我们的月度生活预算约为1216美元。
A stunning view of Castil de Campos. We jumped on it, and bought the home for about $72,000. The price seemed almost impossible, but we were able to pay fully in cash. We don't have a mortgage.
这里四周橄榄园和群山环绕，邻里之间彼此照应，我们也终于能够把这个地方变成自己的家。
Each month, we typically pay about $350 for groceries, $116 for water, $116 for electricity, $116 for phone and internet, $230 for health insurance, $127 for our accountant, $103 for social security and $58 for home insurance. Our monthly living budget comes to about $1,216 for our family of three.
创建自己的事业，融入当地社区 4月，我们在村里开设了一家创意工作室，提供陶艺、缝纫、自然主题艺术和手工工艺等课程。我们希望为游客和当地居民提供一个放慢脚步、沉浸于艺术之中的空间。
We're surrounded by olive groves and mountains, our neighbors look out for each other and we've been able to make this place our own.
开业第一个月，我们只赚了50美元。有些人可能会觉得这令人沮丧，但我们把它视为一种证明：有人足够相信我们的理念，并愿意为此买单。这份支持足以让我们坚持下去。得益于我们从海外运来的材料，我们还得以在初期降低启动成本。我们的手工艺工作室内部。
Building our business and joining our community In April, we opened our creative studio in the village. We offer workshops in pottery, sewing, nature-inspired arts, and handmade crafts. We want to provide a space for visitors and locals to slow down and immerse themselves in art.
我继续以自由职业者的身份从事市场营销策略相关工作，每月的收入大约在 7,000 到 9,000 美元之间，具体取决于我当前签订的合同。这些收入使我们能够持续改善房屋设施，并逐步发展我们的业务，而不必指望这些收入能够立即支撑整个家庭的开支。
Our first month we earned just $50. Some might see that as discouraging, but we saw it as proof that someone believed in our idea enough to pay for it. That was enough to keep us going. And thanks to the supplies that we'd shipped across the ocean, we were also able to reduce our startup costs early on. Inside our craft studio.
我们已经在房屋改造上投入了约 60,000 美元，包括改造客房、泳池以及户外区域。我们的度假胜地“Stay & Create”将于 2027 年 5 月正式向公众开放。
I've continued working as a freelance marketing strategist, with my income generally ranging from approximately $7,000 to $9,000 per month, depending on my current contracts. That income has allowed us to continue upgrading the property and build the business gradually, rather than expecting it to immediately support our family.
我们改造后的户外空间令人非常满意，我们迫不及待地想与游客们分享它。
I've continued working as a freelance marketing strategist, with my income generally ranging from approximately $7,000 to $9,000 per month, depending on my current contracts. That income has allowed us to continue upgrading the property and build the business gradually, rather than expecting it to immediately support our family.
便利性、经济性以及新的冒险体验：我们非常喜欢卡斯蒂尔德坎波斯（Castil de Campos）这个地方——这里的环境非常宁静舒适，而且周边像伊斯纳哈尔（Iznájar）、卢塞纳（Lucena）和巴埃纳（Baena）这样的村庄也提供了许多有趣的活动和探索机会。这些地方总能给我们带来新的惊喜。
We have invested approximately $60,000 into transforming our home, including the guest house, pool, and outdoor areas. Our home retreat, Stay & Create, will officially open to the public in May 2027. Our transformed outdoor space. We can't wait to share it with visitors. Accessibility, affordability and new adventures We love how relaxing Castil de Campos is, but there is also so much to do here, and in the surrounding villages like Iznájar, Lucena, and Baena. They always surprise us with something new to explore.
我们喜欢去格拉纳达（Granada）进行户外活动，去哈恩（Jaén）购物，或者去科尔多瓦（Córdoba）享受城市夜生活；这三个地方距离我们都很近（大约一小时车程）。同时，我们也能够更加方便且经济地前往巴塞罗那（Barcelona）、马德里（Madrid）和巴黎（Paris）等地旅行。
We like to go to Granada for outdoor activities, Jaén for shopping, and Córdoba for a night out in the city. All of them are about an hour away. We can also more accessibly and affordably take trips to places like Barcelona, Madrid and Paris.
村里的购物体验：这里的生活成本非常低廉。我们非常喜欢西班牙美食，但作为一个拉丁裔家庭，我们也对其他美食文化充满兴趣，希望通过食物来了解不同的文化。附近的普里埃戈-德科尔多瓦（Priego de Córdoba）有许多美味的西班牙小吃店，还有出售新鲜水果和蔬菜的摊位；每周甚至会有专门的货车来到我们村里，为我们运送当地农场生产的农产品。
Shopping in the village. The cost of living is very affordable here. We really enjoy Spanish food, but as a Latina family, we're also drawn to different cuisines and love exploring other cultures through food. Nearby Priego de Córdoba has some lovely tapas spots and fruit and vegetable stands with incredible fresh produce. A van even comes through our village each week delivering produce from local farms.
当初搬到这里时，我们的目标是减少开支、多去旅行、享受生活。我们不想总是感到自己像是在“永无休止的忙碌循环”中。虽然我们已经实现了这个目标，但同时也必须适应新的生活环境。
Our goal when we got here was to travel more, enjoy our lives and spend less. We didn't want to constantly feel like we were on a hamster wheel. We've been able to make that happen, but we've also definitely had to adapt to our new environment. Sharing in art and community at the studio, as a family.
在工作室里，我们一家人一起分享艺术与社区生活：我们在工作室里一起参与各种艺术活动，同时也积极参与社区活动，享受彼此的陪伴。
The biggest surprise about living in Spain I've found that moving countries takes courage, but the adjustment isn't just in the big moments. It's learning when the shops close, how to get what you need without the conveniences you're used to, and how to build a routine that works for your family. Those small details are what make a new place feel like home over time.
在西班牙生活最大的惊喜在于，我发现移居他国需要勇气，但适应过程不仅关乎重大时刻。更在于学会商店何时关门、如何在没有习惯便利设施的情况下获取所需、以及如何建立适合家庭的作息。正是这些细节，让陌生之地随着时间推移逐渐有了家的感觉。
Definitely the biggest surprise since moving here has been the pace of life. In the US, we're used to getting things done right away. Where we live, there's no Uber Eats, for example, and anything you think is super important might be handled tomorrow or next week.
搬来这里以来最大的惊喜，莫过于生活节奏。在美国，我们习惯马上把事办妥。而我们居住的地方，例如没有Uber Eats外卖服务，你自以为极其重要的事，可能要等到明天甚至下周才处理。这花了一些时间去适应，但现在我们的村子已让人感到宾至如归。
It took some time and adjustment, but now our village feels like home.
同理，午休制度也让我们惊讶。听起来美妙极了，但我们仍在习惯围着它安排行程！而且因为我同时与美国和当地的客户合作，常需跨时区工作，导致一天的工作时间被奇异地拉长。
In that same vein, the midday siesta surprised us too. It sounds heavenly, but we're still getting used to planning around it! And since I work with clients in the United States and here, I'm often working across time zones, which can stretch the day in odd ways.
所有这些有时会让人沮丧，处理后勤和陌生的官僚体系需要耐心。但一个不以“紧迫感”安排每一天的地方，也自有其动人之处。
All of this can be frustrating at times and managing logistics and unfamiliar bureaucracy takes patience. But there's also something beautiful about a place that doesn't organize every day around urgency.
回首往事，离开美国是为了选择追求另一种成功的定义。我们不再追逐职场晋升或更大的房子。如今，成功的模样是：清晨眺望橄榄树林，午后与来自世界各地的人们共同创作艺术，看着女儿在我们热爱的社区中成长。
Looking back, leaving the United States was about choosing to pursue a different definition of success. We're not chasing after corporate promotions or bigger houses. Now, success looks like mornings overlooking the olive groves, afternoons spent creating art with people from around the world and watching our daughter grow up in a community we love.
Alicia Sanchez 是一位非裔拉美裔营销策略师兼企业家，她通过电子邮件营销、客户留存、双语策略和品牌激活，帮助企业建立持久的客户关系。
Looking back, leaving the United States was about choosing to pursue a different definition of success. We're not chasing after corporate promotions or bigger houses. Now, success looks like mornings overlooking the olive groves, afternoons spent creating art with people from around the world and watching our daughter grow up in a community we love.
她与妻子 Luci Peraza 共同创立了 Felicita & Faustina，这是一家位于西班牙安达卢西亚的创意工作室兼“住宿创作”体验项目。
Alicia Sanchez is an Afro-Latina marketing strategist and entrepreneur who helps businesses build lasting customer relationships through email marketing, retention, bilingual strategy, and brand activations. Alongside her wife, Luci Peraza, she co-founded Felicita & Faustina a creative studio and stay-and-create experience in Andalusia, Spain. In their writing, Alicia and Luci bring a marketer's eye and a business owner's perspective to entrepreneurship, creativity, and building a life on your own terms.
在她们的写作中，Alicia 和 Luci 以营销人员的洞察力和企业主的视角，探讨创业、创意以及按自己的方式构建生活。
Alicia Sanchez is an Afro-Latina marketing strategist and entrepreneur who helps businesses build lasting customer relationships through email marketing, retention, bilingual strategy, and brand activations. Alongside her wife, Luci Peraza, she co-founded Felicita & Faustina a creative studio and stay-and-create experience in Andalusia, Spain. In their writing, Alicia and Luci bring a marketer's eye and a business owner's perspective to entrepreneurship, creativity, and building a life on your own terms.
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Should you buy a home when rates are over 7%? Here are the best lenders for finding a deal The 1 thing YNAB founder Jesse Mecham says can help you manage money better 3 reasons now is the right time to plan your 2027 summer holiday See if you qualify for the $167.5M Visa and Mastercard settlement and learn how to avoid out-of-network ATM fees Prep for the next Fed rate increase by boosting your credit score with these tools *Conversions from euros to USD were done using the OANDA conversion rate of 1 euro to 1.16 USD on Sep. 11, 2026.