<p class="ingestion featured-caption">I've always known I wanted to live abroad. Shayna Conde</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>It took me months to gather all the information to <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-to-puerto-rico-biggest-culture-shocks-2024-9">move from New Jersey</a> to Barcelona.</li><li>Finding a room in a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/living-abroad-money-lessons-saving-thousands-navy-2024-04">Spanish apartment</a> was easier than I expected it to be.</li></ul><p>As a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/children-of-immigrants-detail-struggles-with-blackness-in-america-2021-7">first-generation child of immigrants</a> living in New Jersey, my worldview has always extended beyond the US. In January 2023, I took a leap of faith and started the process of moving abroad.</p><p>Knowing I wanted to learn more Spanish, I started in Mexico. But after six months, I decided to book a three-month trip to Barcelona. </p><p>That quick taste gave me the confirmation I needed to apply for a yearlong visa and join the other foreigners that make up more than <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.catalannews.com/society-science/item/foreign-residents-in-barcelona-exceed-25-for-the-first-time">25% of Barcelona's population</a>.</p><p>Even though I got to work right away, the logistics of moving abroad took longer than I expected, and there are a few things I'd do differently next time.</p>