My name is Rocco. I’m a regular guy from a small town in New Jersey. I left behind a stable job, supportive family, and great friends to move halfway across the world to start over in a new country. I’ve been living and working in Madrid, 
Spain, for the past 12 years. My aim for this blog is share my experiences as an expat for anyone who might be considerting following a similar path or for those who are simply curious about what life abroad is really like.
The early years
I spent the first 5 years of my Madrid Expat adventure working as an English teacher in various academies throughout the city. Teaching English doesn’t pay particularly well, but it’s a great gig for anyone starting out in a foreign country, especially here in Spain where the average person typically doesn’t speak English particulary well. Between researching to find better teaching methods to help my students and struggling myself to learn Spanish, I discovered my passion for language learning.
Once I decided to stop “studying” Spanish and start actually using it, my Spanish communication skills shot through the roof and after a few years I found myself what most would consider to be “fluent” in the language (although not perfect). With the language no longer such a major barrier, Madrid started to feel more and more like home. I was no longer limited to spending time exclusively with English speaking expats and I would eventually meet and fall in love with a local Madrid girl. This girl, who would eventually become my wife and the mother of my 2 children, actually spoke very good English, but I’m not sure that the relationship would have lasted if I hadn’t been able to communicate effectively with her friends and family.
Now in a steady relationship, I had to find a more stable career. Teaching English is a great option for short-term plans. It is very difficult to make a long-term career out of it. I eventually got a job in tech sales, a common career path for English-speaking expats in Madrid. Many companies want to sell their products in the US or UK. They struggle to find people (post-Brexit) who speak English well, have sales/marketing experience, and have legal working rights in Spain.
Officially off the market
In 2017, my girlfriend and I decided to get married. We tied the knot in December 2018. Less than a year later, our first child was born. Before he could crawl, COVID-19 hit, and the world turned upside down. Restrictions in Spain were tougher than those back in the US. We spent most of our days and nights trapped in our small apartment in Carabanchel. After so much time confined indoors and working remotely, we considered moving outside the city to an actual house. Remote work was here to stay. With baby number two on the way, we needed to look outside the city or hit the lottery ASAP.
The house hunt lasted longer than expected. In 2022, we finally found our dream home in a beautiful town called Aranjuez, about 45 minutes outside the city. 
Twelve years later, I still look around and think, “Holy shit, I actually live in Spain!” There have been many ups and downs along the way. Moving here back in 2012 was the best decision I’ve ever made. Do I miss my friends and family back home? Of course, I do. Would I do it all over again if I could? Abso-fucking-lutely.