An Expat Talks about Living in Valencia, Spain

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Valencia

Describe how you "dreamed" expat life would be before you moved overseas. Please provide as much detail as possible.

Three years before I moved here, I decided to move to Valencia, Spain. Since making that decision, I saved as much as I could and sold pretty much everything I owned so I could move without too many complications.

How has your expat experience met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?

Yes, in many ways, my expectations and my dreams were similar. I had also visited the city several times to make sure I knew what I was going to encounter. The people here are amazing, and very friendly, for the most part. The cultural aspects of this area are also incredible, and there are so many things to enjoy about the city. Not having a car has not been a problem, and finding an apartment was relatively easy. I am always finding something new to do for free or close to free.

How has your expat experience NOT met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?

Paperwork here is a bit of a challenge, and the concept of customer service is certainly not what I am used to seeing. I have pretty much given up on the idea that I can get something done in a single day. Instead, many processes take a week or more to just get an appointment, such as when going to a doctor, requesting house services like a phone or television, or opening an account. For example, it took over a month to get a cellphone number, which would have taken an hour in the US.