A woman sold everything to move to Spain without even having a place to live and claims she's slashed her rent and bills by half. Brittnee Dawley, 32, initially explored Madrid and Barcelona in June 2024 and discovered she felt "better and healthier" during her stay.

By July 2024, she'd resolved to relocate overseas in pursuit of something "more" and started investigating various visa options, eventually opting for a 12-month student visa. She offloaded everything she possessed, including her four-bedroom house, vehicle and balloon artistry enterprise, and departed her native Houston, Texas, USA, for the first time in June 2025.

Landing without accommodation sorted, she inspected 20 flats within a week before settling into a two-bedroom property with a mate who's also on a visa. Previously forking out roughly $5,000 monthly on living costs in America, Brittnee revealed she's more than halved her outgoings in Valencia, now spending merely $2,150 on rent and utilities.

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She studies Spanish for four hours daily, Monday through Friday, and is set to complete her Dele Spanish Diploma qualification in June 2026.

Brittnee explained: "I visited Madrid and Barcelona in June 2024 and I really loved spending time in Spain and felt better and healthier being here. I went back home and I had my own business and it obviously just for whatever reason was doing really well.

"It was taking off and doing so good. One day I woke up and thought 'it's not worth it' and wanted to live abroad.

"That day I said 'I'll do whatever I can to move abroad'. I think obviously the lifestyle in Spain can't be beaten.

"I was in my 30s, living in my hometown I grew up in. I feel there was more for me out there and I have a life somewhere that's not here. I thought I'm 30, I can do it, I don't have kids."

Brittnee explored her visa options, eventually opting for a student visa as she intended to take Spanish lessons upon relocating.

"I think my lifestyle I worked a lot, had own company, worked weekends and really gruelling hours and always felt like I needed to better my business - go go go and get anything done that needs to be done. Now I'm so much more calm and have found a sense of peace being here.

"I really tried to accumulate enough money to live off for a year and a half, but I would say after moving expenses and stuff $50,000 was a number for me that felt like it would be sufficient at least for a year," she explained. "I visited 20 different apartments in one week when I arrived.

"It was insane, but that was what I felt was the only way to do it. Doing it in the States I didn't want to get scammed and I didn't know the system. Within a week I found an apartment."

In Valencia, Brittnee has managed to cut her monthly expenses from $5,000 down to a mere $2,150.

She explained: "In the US my mortgage combined with my property taxes was $2,200 per month. My expenses per month in the US were insane – probably like $5,000. And here, I am doing everything I want to do and travelling".

Relishing her Spanish adventure, Brittnee describes the lifestyle as "completely different" to anything she's known before.

She said: "Everyone here walks after work, goes for a drink or goes to dinner. Everyone is just enjoying their day.

"And the days seem to be longer for some reason. They do so much more in a day than I ever had in the US and sometimes embracing things being slower, walking more and not having things as rushed as they were in the US."

Chatting with locals has boosted Brittnee's Spanish skills alongside her formal studies, and she's recently passed her Dele B1 exam. She's now eyeing up a digital nomad or self-employment visa once her course wraps up.

Brittnee added: "Obviously I miss my family and being able to be in the same time zone as them, as time zones are tricky. Overall, I don't know if it's because I'm still new to living here, I'm just really the type of person to adapt to where I am and I think about the things I miss much and think about the positives of things.

"I think I really have just gained my wings and have figured myself out in the short time I've been here and developed so much as a person here. I would stay unless a family member is sick and forces me back. If it were up to me, I would live here forever."

In Valencia

Rent and bills: $2,150

Groceries: $200

Cable TV: $15

Mobile contract: $15

In Houston

Rent and bills: $5,000

Groceries: $800

Cable TV: $150

Mobile bill: $200