So You Want to
Escape the Rat Race.
You’re not alone. Neither were we. Here’s everything you need to know about who we are and why we packed up our lives and left.
A Real Family.
A Real Decision.
We’re Jonathan, Betsy, and Lucas. Jonathan was born in Indianapolis and spent his 40s moving around the US before landing in Denver. Betsy is from Peñuelas, Puerto Rico and ended up in Colorado for her master’s degree. Lucas was born and raised in Colorado. We’re three people — plus a service dog named Padme and a rescue cat named Ahsoka, both rescued in Puerto Rico — who got tired of talking about doing something different and together decided to actually do it.
We’d talked about living abroad for years. Then a health scare changed everything. Suddenly “someday” wasn’t good enough anymore. Together we got serious, made a plan, and within a year we were on our way.
“We didn’t wait until things were perfect. We waited until we couldn’t wait anymore.”
We left Denver, spent time in Puerto Rico working on our path to Europe, and when plans changed we adapted and headed straight to Spain. That’s kind of the whole story of this blog — things don’t go perfectly, and you do it anyway.
Meet Everyone.
Indianapolis born. Spent his 40s moving around the US before landing in Denver. The writer, content creator, and planner of the operation.
From Peñuelas, Puerto Rico. Came to Colorado for her master’s degree and never left — until now. The heart of the operation and the organizer who keeps it all together. Creates content in both Spanish and English.
Born and raised in Colorado, turning 12 this July 4th. Growing up with the whole world as his classroom.
Service dog. Puerto Rican rescue. Flies with us everywhere — yes, even to Europe.
Puerto Rican rescue cat. Opinionated. Unimpressed by most things. Along for the ride regardless.
Where We’ve Been.
Where We’re Going.
We’re not on a fixed itinerary. We’re not doing a gap year. This is our life now. We document everything — what works, what doesn’t, what surprised us, and what we wish we’d known before we left.
You’re in the Right Place If…
Read These First.
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1How We Actually Pulled This Off — The Unfiltered VersionThe full story. Denver to Puerto Rico to Spain. What the plan was, how it changed, and why we did it anyway.
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2Flying to Europe with a Service Dog & a CatAirlines, vet paperwork, microchips, health certificates. Everything we learned so you don’t start from zero.
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3Banking in Europe Without EU Credit HistoryWise, Revolut, Charles Schwab. Exactly what’s in our wallet and why.
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4Renting in Spain as a Family with No EU HistorySpotahome, Idealista, Fotocasa. The platforms that actually work and the ones that don’t.
También en Español 🇵🇷🇪🇸
Betsy creates content in Spanish for our Latino and Hispanic community. If you’re more comfortable reading or watching in Spanish, you’re in the right place. Este blog es para ti también.
If We Can Do It,
You Probably Can Too.
We’re not experts. We’re not influencers. We’re a family from Indiana, Puerto Rico, and Colorado who got tired of waiting for the right time. We document everything honestly — the wins, the mistakes, the moments where we looked at each other and said “what did we just do?”
That’s what this blog is. Real information, real budgets, real family. Follow along and we’ll figure it out together.
Don’t Miss What Happens Next
New posts, honest updates, and the occasional “well, that didn’t go as planned” story — straight to your inbox.