I Spent a Month in a Small Coastal Spanish Haven Living With 14 Strangers — Here’s Why I’ll Be Doing It Again

Warning: After reading this, you may feel the desire to impulsively book a co-living on the other side of the world

Working remotely has truly allowed me to be at my best, in both my career and personal life. The flexibility lets me chase the sun, soak up that vital vitamin D, stay sharp on global trends and cultures, meet incredible people, and avoid the dreaded burnout.

I thrive working during late hours when creativity peaks, so time changes don’t faze me. It’s like a cheat code to get a headstart by working in a later timezone. Let me quickly give you a recap of what I felt and what I was seeking.

It all began with a 15-hour flight to Australia to reunite with an old friend who had recently relocated there. During my short time there, I was already inquiring about how I could move my life there. This is the torturous part of traveling. Why can’t I be everywhere at once?!?

Following this memorable visit, I kept the journey moving along — next up Bali. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling the greatest physically back in the Canadian winter. I was far too stagnant and spent most days indoors. I needed a hard reset. My body was begging me.

(I know, I know, classic Bali trip is what you’re thinking. But, the reason I chose Bali was because I was already familiar with the island as I’ve visited twice before and wouldn’t be hit with any FOMO. This was a trip for my mind and body, not my Instagram feed.)

I settled into a routine of healthy living — organic meals, Muay Thai, ocean dips, and late-night work in my villa. I did cross paths with some fantastic folks, but they were all about partying, while I was deep into my health kick. So, our connections weren’t the strongest. Don’t get me wrong; I loved every minute, but as I watched others bonding in their little packs, I sometimes felt like a silent observer or a background character.

It only took a few days of hard training, an awful sunburn, and plenty of coconut water, to feel at my best again. When you treat your body right, your mind reaps the benefits too.

So, after my Bali escapade, I was on a mad dash to Japan, eager to catch a glimpse of Sakura blossoms and the majestic giant, Mt. Fuji.

To meet new people, I opted for hostels, where I met 2 amazing friends from Denmark and Japan — our connection was instant.

But here’s the catch with travel — everybody’s got their own schedule. We had a sweet alignment of schedules for a few days, but as the travel stars would have it, we soon went on our own paths. That’s the magic of friendships made while traveling…despite only sharing a few days together, the bond is forever. Those memories and moments are imprinted forever.

In fact, I feel closer to people I’ve met traveling, despite it being only a few days together, than I am to people I’ve known for years.

What if these connections could last longer?

So, this wild journey led me down the rabbit hole of co-living options. The thought of shacking up with a bunch of strangers for weeks on end didn’t initially jump at me, but the curiosity was there.

Fast forward a few months, and I’m back in Canada scrolling TikTok. And there it was, this quaint co-living spot nestled in a small Spanish coastal town. The mere idea of co-living had my attention, and the fact that I’d never set foot in Spain added a layer of excitement. The town itself had me dreaming — a cozy and Netflix vibey town with animated calas, epic hikes, a towering mountain, and plenty of locally owned shops. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to be there ASAP.

Too good to be true? Yup. It was fully booked all summer long. A massive buzzkill. I peeked at other options, but I kept coming back to this one. Every day I was checking for a cancellation. One afternoon while sipping matcha, an opening for the entire month of June popped up in a quad room (four people). Ouuuuufffff. Sharing a room with three complete strangers for a whole month wasn’t in my mental picture. I’d been eyeing the double or single rooms, but this was my golden ticket.

With only a 2-day notice, I booked it. Fortunately, I thrive on impulsiveness. Before I knew it, I was online, snagging flights from Kelowna, BC to Valencia, Spain, complete with a 14-hour layover in Frankfurt.

Touching down in Spain with no return ticket, nothing but my backpack and a small suitcase, no clue what lay ahead, and you know what? That mix of excitement and unease, it’s what keeps me coming back for more.

It’s the classic “This is why I do it” moment. The thrill of the unknown. Little did I realize that the next month would turn out to be packed with some of the best days of my entire life.

Walking through the picturesque town toward my co-living destination, I had a feeling I’d made the right choice. I knocked on the grand wooden door and was greeted by my first new housemate, Sebastien, a talented app developer from France. Hailey, our coordinator from England, introduced me to the layout of our three-story home, including the best part: a coworking space just 30 seconds away, making it easy to maintain a work routine.

When I entered my room, I was pleasantly surprised to find a handwritten welcome letter and a bottle of wine — a thoughtful gesture that made me feel right at home.

It didn’t take long for me to catch that feeling I was chasing. I quickly became connected with 14 other individuals from all over the world, including backgrounds from the Netherlands, Slovakia, France, Croatia, Germany, Spain, Brazil, and the USA. Each of us is far away from home but not far away from the feeling of home. We all took the same leap with different expectations.

In no time at all, these people ceased to be strangers; they became an integral part of my life. It was the little things — our grocery runs, whipping up meals together, opening up about our personal challenges, and dancing all night long in the streets of Xabia, Spain. From the moment I opened my eyes to those late-night heart-to-hearts at 2 a.m., they were there, everything felt right.

Some things that we plan throughout the week include skill sharing, where one individual will share a professional skill they have so we can all add it to our toolkit. I learned more about cyber security, investment analysis, plenty of AI chat, and more. Not only that, we would also do things outside the coworking space.

We embarked on group hikes, took refreshing swims in hidden calas, pedaled around town hunting for the next bakery, explored the Mediterranean Sea on kayaks, and even rented a little yacht to cruise the coast for a whole day.

Life is a rollercoaster, no doubt. One day, you’re at home pondering the idea of coliving, and the next, you’re sailing the coast with your newfound family. You’re plunging into the sea, dancing to the most random playlist ever, and capturing the moments with a trusty 20-year-old film camera. Life is crazy.

Perhaps giving a walkthrough of my typical day will help paint the picture.

Let’s begin at wakeup time.

8am: Waking up in my quad room with my closest friend in the home, Stan. We wake up together and head to the backyard to hit a quick workout in the 28-degree heat. Feels good getting that sweat on early, especially considering the unhealthy amount of bread I was consuming daily.

9:20am: Showered and fed! Got my shades on and my laptop in my bag. I walk about 60 steps from the front door to go to a local cafe where I’m now a regular. I ordered 1 cafe con leche (the best coffee I’ve ever had) and the freshest glass of orange juice for about $3 CAD total. In Canada, this would easily be $8. I speak a little bit of Spanish to the server too, which is only suitable for a half-Chilean boy named Antonio.

9:45am: Making my way to the coworking space which is only minutes away, but I usually stretch this walk out because it’s too perfect to rush through.

10am: I’m in the coworking space, all set up at my spot. Everyone is dialed into their work and you don’t want to be the first to disrupt the good flow.

Noon: Had a couple of good hours of good workflow. I typically do most of my work in the evenings as I work in the Pacific time zone. I stroll back home to cook up a healthy lunch. Sidenote: One of the biggest shocks for me coming to Spain was how much more affordable groceries were than back in Canada. It’s not even comparable, to be honest, and the quality of fruit and vegetables seems to be superior here in Spain. For reference, here’s my grocery run at the Mercadona. My cart below only totaled $35.01 CAD ($24.66 USD or 23.19 EUR). It would be almost triple in Canada.

1pm: As mentioned, I do most of my work in the evenings, so I’ll take the afternoons for me. As the hottest part of the day approaches, shops are closed for a few hours while the town takes a rest indoors where it’s much cooler. The famous Siestas as you may have heard. But for this Canadian who can’t stay out of the sun, I’m taking advantage of the scorching hot day with some friends for a dip. A few of us pack into a car and take a 12-minute drive to a little cala to cool off in the sea and catch some rays. Bumping Bad Bunny through the speakers on the way there, windows down, beverages and snacks packed, we pull up. The calm teal water is cool yet inviting. The white rocks provide limited shade but maximum beauty. The rocks under our feet remind us that perfection comes in all forms.

2:45pm: The group of us are toasted (some roasted) and the sun has stolen all of our energy. We grab a quick cafe con leche for a caffeine spike first. Then back in the car we go to head back home for a shower and maybe a little rest.

4pm: Feeling all rested and dressed, got my trusty water bottle in hand, and I’m raring to dive back into some work! The FOMO for sunshine isn’t hitting me quite as hard today, so I’m all set to focus. Off to the quiet coworking spot I go, with some chill lofi beats in my headphones, ready to launch ads, crunch numbers, whip up reports for clients, cook up growth strategies, and more. I absolutely love it.

8pm: Family Dinner! One of the cool things we do at Sun&CO is share our culture through cuisine. This week, our 2 lovely housemates from Cuba were cooking up their traditional dish and dessert, while I was on duty to set everything up, prep the ingredients, and do all the planning.

9:15pm: Bellies are full and tables are cleaned. That only means one thing. As the sun sets over the Mediterranean, the town comes alive with a palpable energy that sets the stage for an unforgettable night of celebration. The lively atmosphere is contagious, and laughter and excitement fill the air. We all head towards the town square to take in fireworks and live music. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself dancing the night away with your housemates and locals.

11pm: Antonio’s pulling off the classic Irish Exit, slipping away to head back home because, well, I value my rest a tad more than most. Once I’m back home, I spot a couple of others who are equally wiped out. We shoot the breeze for a bit about this wild rollercoaster called life before we all plop down on the couches and fire up Black Mirror on the projector. After one episode, some of us are already snoring away, some are in that half-asleep zone, and yours truly is still clicking away on the Macbook.

If there’s one takeaway I hope to provide from this, it’s that the best days of your life are still waiting for you. It doesn’t matter if you go big or small, as long as you go. No matter how uncomfortable it may be to take the initial step. You’re never truly alone when there are so many incredible people out there waiting to cross paths with you.

I understand that I can pursue this lifestyle because I work remotely and have put in a lot of effort to reach this point, and I believe you can achieve it too.

I wish you the best and am excited for the next leap you’ll take.

Muchos gracias, Sun&Co.

Forever grateful.

Siempre en mi corazón.