Countdown to a new decade means it’s time for our report card for the year 2019! Another year that passed by wicked quick. Sometimes I want to say “slow down world. I wanna get off”. On this last blog post- newsletter of the year, we look back at how we did on our travels, other aspects of life and wishes for the coming year.
This year has been a bit calmer for us on the whole. In prior years, we traveled a lot more, always on the lookout for a place we could live in in case we decided to leave Spain. Eventually we discovered that we were already home. Not in the right city, but definitely in the right country of Spain.
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Having been in Valencia for a while now, a place where we feel at home, there hasn’t been that intense urge to go searching anymore (something we barely noted on a conscious level at the time). Never say never of course, because you never know what might happen in the future, but for us, Valencia is home now. My family is shocked as they considered us “homeless” for the longest time :-).
Year End Review Report Card 2019
Travel: Grade B+
Travel is of course, the big one for us, since this is a travel and lifestyle blog. As l mentioned, we didn’t travel to so many countries this year. Definitely not as many as we had wished for on last year’s review. We did visit a new country, one that l had dreamed about visiting for so long. Egypt was an amazing experience and one we would both love to repeat.
We visited Italy three times during the year. His family wanted us to return again for Christmas! No, thanks, we are chilling right here in Valencia. I did a solo trip to England to hang with my siblings for a bit. The rest of the travels was within Spain, Some of you might have noticed that instead of writing new blog posts about the same old, I simply updated the past posts with additional information instead… Barcelona, Madrid etal.
You can read about the some of the Italy visits on these posts:
Umbria’s gem, Perugia
Medieval city of Siena
Interestingly bland Milan
City of Verona
Rome, of course
I still have to catch up with blog posts on our week in Dubai and some other spots that escape my mind to be honest, including El Gouna and Lisbon, a place l feel might deserve another visit before l truly make up my mind. I wasn’t feeling it much when we visited. Porto is so much better in my mind, and l definitely want to go back there.
Our adventures in Egypt can be found here on these posts:
Fascinating city of Luxor
Exotic Cairo
Health: Grade A-
I am shocked at this grade myself, but quite happy. In addition to the loads of walking that we do when we travel, we also walk a lot around the city here. It’s just so much more convenient. The poor car just gets no use at all and needs a jump start every so often, but it’s so cheap to maintain, we can’t even consider selling it. If l wasn’t such a horrible back seat driver, we would go for long trips, but l don’t need the stress, or the speeding tickets that he invariably gets in the mail :-).
We go to the gym four to five times a week and l love it. The major reason why l wanted to stay in our old neighbourhood was because l really liked my classes and people at the old gym. It was literally a three minute walk from the flat. The closest branch to us is about a 20 minute walk and is just as gigantic as the previous one (there are about 12 of them spread out and owned by the city).
One of the best things about Valencia is not just the walkability, but the ease of bicycling. We joined the city bike scheme and pay 30€ each per year. It lets you pick up a bike from any of the numerous bike stations can be found just about every block or two and is free for the first half-hour (more than enough time to get anywhere in the city). Now we bike to the gym in about six to eight minutes depending on how many damn pigeons decide to gather in the lanes. It’s a straight shot using the dedicated bike lanes.
I only do classes. Zumba, Body Combat and Latino Hop. Fede does the training with treadmills and stuff that l don’t care for anymore, and loves the olympic size pool and sauna. At a cost of €25.50 per person per month, it is quite a bargain. Hopefully, we can keep it up :-).
We have both been in good health, knock on wood. Let’s hope that stays the same or even gets better! I wish we ate better, but yeah… you gotta pick your poison :-). I choose plenty of good food, which means pasta, pasta and yep! more pasta. Wine and drink not so much. We finish a bottle of wine between us in about three to four days. We indulge when we go out or have guests over. I suspect l have to get cataract surgery from the symptoms l am displaying.
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Language: Grade B+
My level of comprehension in Spanish is growing daily and that is making life a little easier when l go out. I still don’t speak Spanish well and still sound like a kid (like a two year old before, more like a five year old now :-)), but l’m out there doing it. I recently joined an adult Spanish class offered by the local university after being on the waiting list for a while. So far, it’s going very well.
I’ve caught up to the others despite missing the first four weeks of classes according to the teacher. We have three hours a week and it will end in June. Not a bad price either. €25 only for nine months of classes! I intend on signing on for the advanced beginner class next fall. It’s on a lottery basis though, so who knows!
Finances: Grade B+
Nothing much has changed with our finances. The proceeds from our single family residence rental went to the purchase of our flat here. It was an even wash. Our footprint continues to lighten in the states which is fine by me. Even though we had said we would remain renters for life, it made more sense to buy here.
Too many problems with getting your deposit back etc. etc., plus in the end, the prices are so reasonable here still. We had great tenants who had stayed on for years at the house, but when they went on to purchase a home of their own, it made sense to just do it. Thanks to taking my own wonderful advise, we had like four or five solid offers within a week! In Texas! With new builds. Tons of new builds. We did it all from here, same as before and it went smoothly.
I love that we no longer have to pay rent and that the running expenses for the flat are laughable compared to the states. I am however, also glad we didn’t do it sooner because we got to find the place we really wanted to stay in for a while. It would have sucked had we bought in Malaga for example. Life in Valencia is pretty good.
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Travel Plans for 2020:
One of the countries l had been dying to visit was Bulgaria as mentioned on the wrap up last year . I am putting it on the list again for 2020. We’ll see how that pans out. African countries of Senegal, Namibia and Ghana and Uganda will also remain on the list. Our original mindset when we left America was to explore Europe, so we will revisit places we loved, or visit new places that interest us. We wouldn’t mind a return visit to Istanbul either. We also want to continue traveling within Europe.
We will start off the year by visiting Northern Spain (Santander, Bilbao and make our way down). We are kind of excited as we know it’ll be very cold, a nice change from Valencia right now where it’s been warm during the days then dipping in the evenings. If the weather sucks too badly in one place, we’ll just keep moving till we make our way back down to Valencia. A cruise is also on the wish list for the year, as is a return home to Nigeria.
Year end review report card wrap up:
2019 was a great year for us overall. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers that keep up with our next bite of life adventures. This blog has afforded us the opportunities to meet new people from all walks of life, especially those contemplating moving to Spain, including some who actually ended up moving here :-).
Life has treated us well this year. It was rough with the death of my uncle last year, along with some other family and friends. It definitely makes you appreciate the fact that people, not things are what we should hold dear. I try to keep that in mind always, so l can forgive and forget the little things (hard to do :-). Living well is the best revenge.
Happy New Year to everyone!
How was your 2019? Did you travel to far flung places or stick close to home? Any exciting plans for the new year? Did you also feel like the year went by really, really fast?
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Sounds like you had a good year! I wish you both all the best for 2020!
Thanks so much Natascha. Happy New Year to you guys as well. Here’s to a fantastic 2020 for all :-).
i LOVE YOUR REPORT CARD! I AM GOING TO INTRODUCE IT TO MY LIFE GRADUALLY. MOST OF MY GRADES WERE D- FOR 2019. 2020 HERE i COME!
I’m glad to hear the grading system might help you. I think it’s a good way to keep track and know where to focus on. I hope your 2020 kicks ass and results in a better grade. You can do it! Happy New Year, and best wishes :-).
I love this report post and your grading system. Wonderful that you are so happy in Valencia and you are now home owners there. It is a great city. I wish you both a great 2020 with lots of new adventures and good health.
Thanks Gilda, and Happy New year to you guys! We discover more and more of the city weekly, and loving it. Here’s to an amazing 2020 for all of us. Best wishes :-).
Happy New Year! So happy to read that you finally found your home in Valencia. It is indeed an amazing place, with the park and the beach and everything else… I remember that initially, after visiting, I wasn’t completely blown away by it, but later on, as the years passed by, I realized that it is indeed a great city to live in! Let’s hope it stays that way for as long as possible.
And let’s hope that all the plans for 2020 become reality for you, your readers and ourselves 😀 We too plan to slow down the travels a bit (although we were already slow by most people’s terms) and maybe explore our own country more. We spent a lot of traveling in 2019 and, to be honest, for the first time in many years, I don’t really feel the need (because it was a need) to always be away 🙂 Again, Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you too! I’m so glad to read that Valencia got elevated a bit in your assessment as time went by. It does seem to have a little bit of everything, even if l don’t advantage of all it has to offer, especially the beach :-). I do hope it stays this way and not like the big brother Barcelona or Madrid with sky high prices and over tourism.
Here’s hoping that 2020 indeed is a great one for all of us. I think you will have your hands full discovering more of your own backyard too. We still want to visit a few more places in Romania. Pretty sure it will happen sooner or later..haha.. The need to go and go has calmed a bit for you as well. Good thing :-).
You sound busy and happy and fulfilled, what more could anyone ask for. I’d say that deserves an A! Wishing you all the best In2020.
It’s been great so far and l couldn’t be more content, so not much else to wish for. Haha! Okay.. I am upgrading us to an A then! Happy New Year and here’s to an awesome one for all.
Loved reading your 2019 report card and I so *get* your comment, “Our footprint continues to lighter in the US” as I’ve observed the same thing. I couldn’t wait to return back HOME to Portugal after I spent the month of April in the US. The pace feels slower, life seems simpler and I am surrounded by a community of awesome friends! 2019 was a difficult year for me in many ways but I’m looking forward to 2020, working on my Portuguese vocabulary (I will NEVER be fluent!) and our paths crossing at some time during the year. Let’s make it happen! Hugs to both you and Fede.
Haha! Of course l meant “continue to get lighter in the U.S”, can’t believe l missed that. I shake my head constantly at the shenanigans that occur there on an almost daily basis. I don’t blame you for wanting to get back home. It certainly doesn’t feel or sound or look like the place we left. I enjoy the slower pace too, and yep..the simpler life.
I know 2019 had a lot of challenges for you, and l’m glad you’re hanging tough, and especially that the “family” you have in Portugal helps a lot. Family is not all about blood connection. For sure, I’ll never be fluent either, but as long as we keep trying… I definitely do want to make meeting up happen. I’ve missed you and we would love to see you again. I suspect it will be somewhere in Portugal for some reason first :-). Will keep in touch.
Happy New Year! I was wondering if you pay, or Spaniards in general pay, some kind of strata fee when you live in an apartment/condo. I’ve watched Hawaii Life and Caribbean Life and some of those monthly strata fees are out of this world. Hundreds of dollars a month. In other words, what kinds of ongoing costs can potential buyers expect if they purchased an apartment/condo that aren’t part of the purchase.
Happy New year Cheryl! Hope it’s going to be an awesome one. We do pay a fee akin to a home owners association (HOA) fee in the states, and the prices differ depending on what other services are provided by the building. Most of the flats we toured had monthly “communidad” fee of between 30-70 euros monthly. This goes towards having the building cleaned, elevator maintenance and whatever pops up and each building has an administrator.
Of course l have seen them go as high as 250 euros, but it includes doorman, maybe pool etc. for the fancy buildings. We pay 45 monthly. If there is something major, like say the roof, then it’s divided equally between the flats for repair as a special assessment. The only other running cost is the yearly tax which includes the rubbish removal, and it’s wicked cheap.
Love your year-end reports and look forward to hearing about future travels. Happy New Year to you both – continued good health and happy travels!
Happy New Year to you both as well. I hope you have many more years in the little stone house on the hill in your neck of the woods. I like keeping up with your jaunts in Greece and beyond :-).
Kemkem, I have just discovered your blog and am happy to know that you have settled in one of my favorite cities in Spain. My husband and I just received our visas today and are planning our move to Valencia in May. I’m very interested in knowing more about the gyms that are run by the city. Could you pass along a name or site where I might learn more about them? Gracias y Feliz Año Nuevo!
Feliz Ano Nuevo Kim, and congratulations on the visa. May will be here before you know it and you’ll be in Valencia. I am not at home right now and the hotel’s internet is giving me non secure messages and won’t connect to the sites. Google polideportivo abastos (this is the one l used to go to and pretty central in the city) and you can see what they offer, classes etc. I know there is one in Petxina, Patraix, Benimaclet. I just can’t remember the main site that lists them all, ayutamiento Valencia for sure, but the spelling might be in Valenciano and it’s tripping me up. Hope this helps.
I love reading your blog Kemkem. You are living the dream that my wife Mary Lou and I can only hope that we will one day will somehow manage to achieve. You are an inspiration to us. We are fans, so please keep writing. God willing, one day we’ll share a few of our stories together over some freshly grilled seafood, a few tapas, and a glass of Spanish red. Here is hoping 2020 will be the best yet!
I have to say that l am rarely a sentimental person, but your comment brought tears to my eyes. I really appreciate it very much. I was recently reading someone else’s post about bloggers who brag excessively. My take on the whole thing was that l write not only to share our experiences, but to hopefully inspire others as well. Your comment validates my take. I am very much looking forward to sharing stories with you guys over some wine, tapas, and definitely seafood :-).
Thanks so much again for your kind comment. I hope 2020 brings you even closer to your dreams.