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What happens when a devoted Cape Town resident who "would never leave South Africa" finds herself making a new home in a small Spanish town? Simona's story isn't your typical expat tale of fleeing problems, but rather a thoughtful journey toward family and opportunity.

After both her adult children settled in Europe, Simona and her husband reconsidered their future. The growing gap between earning in rands versus euros combined with the pull of family abroad led them to Spain's beautiful Costa Blanca region. What they discovered there went far beyond financial considerations.

The most profound revelation came about a year into their new life: "I didn't even realize how much fear I was living in until I stopped just looking around me and clutching my bag," Simona shares. Watching someone leave their phone unattended at a café table—and finding it still there upon return—highlighted the dramatic shift in daily security and peace of mind.

Despite Italian heritage that simplified visa concerns, challenges remained. Spanish bureaucracy proved nightmarish, requiring legal help despite EU citizenship. Learning Spanish continues four years later (with amusing mishaps, like discovering the Italian word for butter means "donkey" in Spanish). And yes, those legendary Spanish siestas are absolutely real!

The move enabled Simona to finally pursue her dream of writing children's books, with her first publication coming this year. Meanwhile, her programmer husband continues working remotely, allowing them a comfortable life in their small town where everything is walkable.

For those contemplating a similar move, Simona offers wisdom: "It's not a question of the grass being greener on one side or the other. It's what you bring to it." Her experience shows that expat life isn't about escaping problems but about creating new possibilities—sometimes in unexpected places.

Want to hear more stories like Simona's? Subscribe to South Africans Abroad and join our community of global South Africans forging new paths while keeping their roots. Share your thoughts or your own expat journey with us at saabroadpodcast.com.

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