Moving Abroad: The Trip That Changed Everything — The Emotional Start of Our New Life
Moving abroad. There are moments in life that arrive quietly — moments that don’t demand attention, yet somehow change the entire direction of your future. They don’t come with fireworks or dramatic announcements. They come disguised as ordinary days, ordinary conversations, ordinary holidays. And yet, they leave you standing in a place you never expected to be.
My moment came during a simple family trip. Nothing extravagant. Nothing unusual. Just a week away with the people I love most. But sometimes, the smallest moments carry the biggest truths.
For years, our home in Malta was alive. Truly alive. Two boys, their friends, their noise, their chaos, their laughter. The kind of energy that fills a house so completely you never imagine it fading. The kind of life that makes you feel needed, anchored, and essential.
But children grow. They build their own lives. And suddenly, the silence becomes louder than the noise ever was.
One son had already emigrated. The other was fighting a losing battle with Malta’s impossible property market. And there I was, standing in the middle of a quiet house that once felt too small… now feeling too big.
It wasn’t sadness.
It wasn’t fear.
It was a kind of ache — the ache of realising that life was changing whether I was ready or not.
A Week in Catalunya: Where the Realisation Began
We travelled to northern Spain — Catalunya — to a coastal town I had never heard of: L’Estartit. A place painted with warm sunsets, gentle waves, and streets that seemed to breathe a slower rhythm. A place where life didn’t feel rushed. A place that made me wonder what we were missing.
We were all together — the boys, their girlfriends, our little family that had weathered storms and celebrated victories. We laughed, explored, shared meals, teased each other, and created memories that felt almost suspended in time.
But even in the middle of that joy, something inside me shifted.
I watched my sons walking ahead with their partners, building their own futures, and I felt a quiet truth settle in my chest:
They’re moving forward. And soon… it will be just us.
- It wasn’t fear.
- It wasn’t loss.
- It was acceptance — and the beginning of a new kind of hope.
Back to Routine, Back to Reality
A week in Catalunya disappears quickly — especially when it feels like a glimpse of the life you didn’t know you needed.
Then it was back to Malta. Back to routine. Back to work. Back to a world where everyone seems too busy to breathe.
Is it just me, or is this the world we’re living in now?
One son flew back to the States. The other continued the exhausting search for a home. And I found myself thinking about that quiet house again… and the future waiting for us.
That’s when I said it — almost casually — to Lesley-(my wife):
“What if we moved abroad once the boys are settled?”
- I expected hesitation.
- I expected a laugh.
- I expected the usual “Let’s think about it.”
Instead, she said:
“Yes… maybe we should.”
And that simple yes felt like a door opening.
Is the Decision to Live Abroad Taken?
When the idea of living abroad entered my mind, I did what most people do: I tried to find every possible disadvantage.
- Would Spain be too different?
- Would we adapt?
- Would we miss Malta?
- Would life really be better abroad?
- Would we regret leaving everything familiar?
But Spain kept pulling me back — the culture, the lifestyle, the history, the slower pace, the sense of community. Even the food (which wasn’t my favourite) wasn’t enough to push the idea away.
And then came the realisation:
No one can ever know if life will change for the better.
- But you can research.
- You can explore.
- You can prepare.
- You can choose.
And that’s exactly where this journey begins — with curiosity, courage, and the willingness to imagine a different future.
The Emotional Weight Behind Researching a New Life
Researching emigration isn’t just about comparing property prices or reading immigration rules. It’s emotional. It forces you to confront questions you didn’t know you had.
What does “home” really mean?
- Is it a place?
- Is it people?
- Is it routine?
- Is it comfort?
Or is it simply wherever you feel most alive?
I found myself researching Spain late at night — not because I had to, but because something inside me wanted to. I wanted to understand the culture. The healthcare, which could be the mostchallenging, however if I keep thinking of getting ill then, then I should or better still scrap all this and continue living with the same routine, as the English say ‘We will cross that bridge when we come to it’. The cost of living. The property market. The lifestyle. The pace. The people.
I wanted to know if Spain could become more than a holiday destination.
I wanted to know if it could become home.
The House That Was Once Full
Back in Malta, the house felt different. Not worse. Just different.
The boys weren’t children anymore. They were men. Independent. Strong. Building their own futures. And I realised something important, with all fairness we all did that when we were younger.
We all made our choices.
My job as a father wasn’t ending. It was changing.
The house that once echoed with laughter now echoed with possibility — the possibility of a new chapter for Lesley and me. A chapter where we weren’t just parents, but partners again. A chapter where we could choose a life that suited who we were becoming, not who we used to be.
Helpful Links for Anyone Considering a Move Abroad
Why This Story Matters — And Why You Should Follow the Next Blog
This isn’t just about moving abroad.
It’s about rediscovering life.
It’s about embracing change.
It’s about choosing a future that feels right — not just familiar.
It’s about understanding that life doesn’t end when your children grow up. It evolves. It expands. It invites you to dream again.
In Decision to move abroad Pt.2 blog , I’ll share the exact moment the idea became a decision — the moment when moving abroad stopped being a dream and became our future.
If this first chapter touched you, if it made you reflect on your own life, or if it sparked even the smallest curiosity…
Then you’re ready for what comes next.
