Getting ready for Adventure (Valencia)

Good Afternoon Internations Valencia!

My name is David Morrison and i am a former journalist and now Realtor (I guess an “estate agent” in British English) living in the United States who is planning on moving to Spain generally and Valencia specifically.

I currently live with my partner Rich just outside Washington DC in the US.

Our plan is that he will reach the age where he will receive the maximum social security payment possible in 28 months. At that point he will retire and we will move to Spain.

Reading this, I’m aware that doing this might seem mad, but I’ve been overseas a fair amount before and Rich hasn’t and we are both young enough and healthy enough to want to live somewhere other than where we grew up.

Our strengths: hablo español y estoy aprendiendo francés; I have a good command of both spoken and written English, (albeit the US variety); and I’m not afraid of hard work. Rich has abounding curiosity, a keen mind and an almost Churchillian tenacity.

So we just wanted to say hello and warn you we are probably going to be all over these boards asking all kinds of questions about Expat life in Valencia, everything from what’s the best estate agency to use (and who to definitely avoid), what’s the best visa to get, where’s the best place to grab lunch and will we need a car.

Here’s our kick off question though: what do you know now about living in Valencia that you wish you knew before you came? And it’s related question, if you had it all to do over again, what would you differently coming to Valencia?

Looking forward to meeting you all online first and eventually face to face, your future friends, David & Rich.