My Life In Spain Isn’t Luxurious, I Still Find It Fulfilling

Find Out Why living in Spain is more than just glamour

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about my honest review of my life in Spain compared with America. I spent most of my adult life in the US, and after almost 2 decades decided to move back to the EU. As an adult, I have only experienced adult life in America and now in Spain.

Therefore, in my writings, I compared my experiences in these two countries. Although I grew up in Slovakia, EU, I left when I was 18 and do not know what adult life is like there.

Some of the readers have the impression I live a glamorous life in Spain, but that is far from the truth.

One reader wrote:

…And I’m sure more than a bunch of Spaniards in comments will now rightfully say that this only works because you are living on your American salary, if you had to live on a Spanish one, you’d live in a much shittier location in Spain being exposed to horrible living conditions (cold, humid and moldy apartment with piss and sometimes shit on stairs and landings vs thoroughly a/c, isolated and safe American suburbian home), and being subject to lots of deprivations brought about by poverty. It only works because you, just like most people today, turn international disparities of purchasing power to your advantage. It’s basically exploitation.

We lived in small apartments in the US for 2 decades and were able to save $80k. However, we never owned a house with a picket fence.

Although we believe our savings are modest considering the time we spent away from our families and friends, we accomplished this by working hard and living within our means.

When we moved to Spain, we opted for a simple life off the grid because we disliked the stressful and busy lifestyle America had offered.

Our current lifestyle is more akin to camping than living in a luxurious Spanish villa. I never really desired that kind of lifestyle anyway and I wanted something different.

Spaniards generally have higher living standards than us.

Our amenities include dry composting toilets and our sleeping arrangement is in a yurt surrounded by refurbished furniture from the trash.

During the winter, I experienced a lack of water for three weeks and a limited supply of solar energy. To cope with this situation, I resorted to washing my dishes with water from our reservoir and washing my clothes by hand.

Also, we do not have dishwashers or dryers available. Everything is by hand.

Last winter, when the temperature at night dropped to -7°C, I had to wake up every 2–3 hours to tend to the wood stove in our yurt so that my daughter and dogs could stay warm and comfortable.

“I don’t mind doing this work because I enjoy it and am grateful for the water and sun. Additionally, I am aware of the amount of energy and water required on a weekly basis. I know exactly how much waste we have.”

I believe in living a truly sustainable life, unlike some celebrities who just buy expensive lamps for the sake of their minimalistic look.

That isn’t sustainability.

Furthermore, let’s not forget, Spaniards’ average salary is about $27k a year which is our income a year too, we just lead a different and more simple lifestyle.

Some of you might be curious about why I couldn’t live a life off-the-grid in the US. However, due to concerns about safety, limited freedom, gun violence, and unaffordable healthcare, it wasn’t feasible for us.

Also, as an immigrant in the US, I believe it is not my place to determine how the country should be managed.

It was simpler for us to return to Europe.

The lifestyle I wanted was easily attainable in Spain and I am grateful for that.

Why this should be any of your concerns?

I have come to realize that life is not just about working hard and making money, but rather about enjoying the simple things life has to offer. This is why I am living off the grid with nature and have learned to appreciate the things I used to take for granted.

Accessing energy, water, and heat is not simply a matter of flipping a switch. It’s easy to overlook this fact when living in the United States or any metropolitan city.

Even though we could get a loan for a luxurious apartment in Spain, we didn’t want to experience the same issues all over again.

Is true, in Spain, we have more freedom, universal healthcare, and a society without guns, it doesn’t matter what kind of lifestyle we lead, the pursuit of wealth would still continue.

We didn’t see the point of repeating the same experience.

We chose to live a sustainable life off the grid, in order to avoid unnecessary economic and environmental exploitation.

Living this way allows us to have access to all of our needs while reducing our impact on the planet.

We are now aware that it doesn’t take much money or things to be happy. And we understand that true happiness comes from less stuff, not more.

Although our lifestyle is quite different, it’s also wonderfully fulfilling and comforting.

This is why I think people should strive to be more conscious of the way they lead their lives, and what they can do to help preserve the environment while living simply.

We should move away from the idea that money is required for happiness and find contentment in simpler things like nature, family, friends, and peace of mind.

That is real sustainability.

You only need so much to live a good life, but you’ll never get it if you keep chasing after more money.

I did it, but it left me feeling very unhappy and burned out.

Now, I am here doing something better: living off the grid with less energy consumption and waste generation as possible.

As my father used to say that a good life requires three things: shelter, food, and good company. I also believe that books are important.

That’s how I enjoy sustainability without buying overpriced lamps or fancy furniture.

That is the true spirit of sustainability.

Yes, my life in Spain is not luxurious, but I still find my glamour in it.