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From the moment I set foot in the Netherlands at age 17, I knew I wanted to move abroad. but my dream of living abroad I always felt out of my depth.
I made several attempts: I studied Spanish in Spain at 21, taught English there at 26, and even returned for a master’s degree at 29. Yet each time, my story reached the same seemingly inevitable conclusion: I would return home. state of Texas to “get a real job.”
There were practical obstacles, but the pressure to conform was equally limiting. Society, family, and my own internal expectations pushed me toward a more traditional path: climbing the corporate ladder and measuring my worth by title and salary. I gave it my all, but I never found satisfaction in trying to fit into that box.
At age 35, without a clear plan, I left another job and packed my bags. It felt like my last chance to achieve a lifelong dream. Doubts arose: was he too old? What if it didn’t work?
While I was settling into my new life in spainsomething changed. Outside the confines of a 9 to 5 routine, I found creativity and clarity. I discovered new interests and in a year and a half I started She pressed refresh.which empowers women over 30 to transform their lives by moving abroad.
Almost a decade later, I have a prosperous businessa fulfilling career and a sense of identity that I had struggled to find in the U.S. The new perspective I found in Spain was no coincidence: living abroad allowed me to rewrite my story.
I could throw away old identities and start anew.
At home, I had internalized labels like “marketer” and “job changer,” shaped by the belief that success meant following a conventional path. When I moved, I left behind the social expectations, family pressures, and cultural norms that reinforced these roles.
In my new environment, I no longer felt bound by labels that didn’t work for me. It was transformative.
In Madrid, Spain.
Courtesy of Cepee Tabibian
The anonymity created a space to discover who I wanted to become. I explored interests I had never considered, such as starting a blog, public speaking, and organizing events in Madrid to help me find my people. These activities allowed me to gain skills that would help me build my community business.
In Spain, I could imagine a life bigger, bolder and more aligned with my true self. I got the freedom of redefine myself.
The lower cost of living made it easier to take risks.
In Spain, my cost of living dropped significantly. When I first arrived, for example, my rent was just 540 euros ($604 at the time) and included electricity, Wi-Fi and water, compared to $1,440 for my mortgage in the US alone.
In Spain, I could imagine a life bigger, bolder and more aligned with my true self.
This financial freedom allowed me to take risks that would have been impossible before, such as become self-employedpursue creative projects, and turning my career. With lower rent, affordable healthcare, and more disposable income, I had the flexibility to invest in myself and the courage to dream big and take risks.
While prices have increased significantly and my own lifestyle has evolved since I moved here in 2015, life is still incredibly affordable for Americans with foreign income.
There is more free time for personal growth
Life in Spain had a gentler pace that I quickly adopted. Dinners became long, drawn-out conversations, and spontaneous get-togethers replaced the overloaded social calendars I was used to. Weekends were not for running errands, but for leisure, including nights out followed by lazy mornings.
With the slower pace of life and a lower cost of living, I found myself with shorter work days, fewer obligations, and more energy at the end of the day. For the first time in years, I had space to breathe and reflect.
In Madrid, Spain.
Courtesy of Cepee Tabibian
This downtime became a catalyst for self-discovery. I began to ask myself questions that I had avoided for a long time: What do I really want? What excites me? What kind of life do I want to create?
I had never considered myself a creative person, but in Spain I was overflowing with inspiration. I channeled this energy into exciting projects.
I conducted a (brief) vegetarian food preparation experiment in my kitchen. I created an online and in-person community for digital creatives that led to a year-long paid collaboration with Facebook. and finally I I launched my own business.
It changed my entire perspective on life.
Looking back, I can’t help but marvel at how far I’ve come since that pivotal moment when I took the leap to move permanently to Spain a decade ago.
The woman who left the United States doubted her ability to build the life she dreamed of. But by starting over, I found not only a new place to live, but a new shape live.
I rebuilt my career, discovered new passions, and cultivated a sense of identity that was impossible to access in the United States.
tabibian cepí is the founder of She pressed refresh.a community and resource platform helping women over 30 move abroad, and author of “I’m leaving here! The definitive guide to US visas to live in Europe.” As the daughter of Colombian and Iranian immigrants, Cepee grew up in Houston, Texas, before becoming an immigrant herself in Spain.
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