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| Parrie Hartley at Plaza de España in Seville, Spain. Courtesy of Parrie Hartley |
At 30 years old, Parrie Hartley had everything most people would call “success.” A great tech job, a stylish apartment in downtown Austin, a busy social life, and financial independence. But underneath the surface, something felt missing.
“I had everything I thought I wanted but I was craving something more,” she said. “Adventure. Discomfort. A challenge.”
In February 2025, Parrie made a bold move: she packed her life into a few suitcases and relocated to Barcelona, Spain, alone. It was a choice that forced her far outside her comfort zone and into a new chapter of personal reinvention.
From Texas Tech to European Dreams
Parrie grew up in a small town just outside of Houston where job opportunities were limited. Ambitious and independent, she always imagined something bigger. After spending time in Australia, she landed in Austin in 2020 and dove headfirst into the booming tech scene. Working in software sales, she quickly climbed the ladder and enjoyed the perks of life in one of America’s fastest-growing cities.
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| Kayakers on Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Grexsys/Getty Images |
“Austin is amazing great food, music, friends,” she recalled. “But after five years, I realized I wasn’t excited anymore. I had money, but no spark. I missed feeling curious.”
When her company announced layoffs in May 2024, it gave her the nudge she needed. She started asking herself a powerful question: “If I don’t have a job, a partner, kids, or a mortgage what’s really stopping me from starting over somewhere new?”
Why Spain?
Parrie considered several destinations across Europe but ultimately chose Spain, partly for its language accessibility and partly for its laid-back culture. She’d visited Barcelona years earlier and remembered its charm, beaches, and energy.
To make the move legal, she applied for a student visa by enrolling in a Spanish language school. The visa process was rigorous requiring an FBI background check, health clearances, proof of savings, and insurance but within four weeks, everything fell into place. Her visa was approved just three days before her flight.
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| Downtown Austin. ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty Images |
To prepare, she sold nearly all her belongings, including her furniture and wardrobe, and temporarily moved back in with family to save money before departing.
Settling Into a New Life Abroad
Parrie now lives just steps from Barcelona’s iconic La Sagrada Família, in a neighborhood that’s central yet peaceful. Her rent? A modest €600 ($686) for a room in a shared apartment she found on Idealista. Add in €10 ($11) for WiFi and about €40 ($46) in utilities, and she’s living well below the monthly costs she once paid in Austin.
Her days begin with four-hour classes at Expanish, her language school. The program spans 40 weeks, including holidays, and cost her $6,800. Outside of class, she tutors locals in English and picks up virtual admin work for her cousin, a lawyer back in Texas.
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| Church of La Sagrada Família. Gustavo's photos/Getty Images |
The cost of living, she says, has made a huge difference: “I used to spend $1,800 a month just on rent. Now, I spend less than half that and still have access to beaches, public transit, and fresh food.”
From Isolation to Community
One of Parrie’s biggest fears before moving abroad was loneliness. But Barcelona proved surprisingly warm.
“Making friends here is easier than I imagined,” she said. “Everyone is from somewhere else, so there’s a natural openness.”
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| Hartley in Menorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea. Courtesy of Parrie Hartley |
Life Lessons From the Move
The transition hasn’t been without its challenges. Navigating the metro was tough at first. The language barrier can still be intimidating. And not having AC that reaches her room during the summer? Definitely a pain.
She also misses family especially when she’s not there for big moments. But she’s learning to live with the trade-offs.
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| Hartley in Seville, located in Southwestern Spain. Courtesy of Parrie Hartley |
“I realized life is always moving whether I’m in Texas or Spain,” Parrie said. “I’ve learned to let go of guilt. My family is doing their thing, and I’m doing mine.”
She’s walking more (often 20,000 steps a day), spends hours at the beach, and has traveled to the Balearic Islands, where a round-trip ticket to Menorca cost just €40. She’s planning more adventures, including a visit to Mallorca for the Love Island UK finale, thanks to scoring free tickets.
What’s Next?
Parrie’s current visa lasts until February 2026, but she’s already exploring her next option: a digital nomad visa, which would allow her to live in Spain or another European country while continuing to work remotely.
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| Hartley and her family at her going away party in Texas. Courtesy of Parrie Hartley |
“I don’t have plans to go back to the U.S. unless I absolutely have to,” she said. “This lifestyle fits me.”
She acknowledges that it’s not for everyone. Living abroad can be uncomfortable, and building a life from scratch especially in a foreign language requires resilience.
But to her, that’s the point.
“Some people choose the hard of parenthood and settling down,” she said. “For me, the hard I chose was moving to a foreign country alone. And I’d choose it again, every time.”
