A family moves from the UK to Galicia

The plan feels like it would be:

Phase 1 : Move out and get the family settled in (over a few weeks maybe), and then I return to the UK to work in the current job or similar IT/business job (perm or contract).  This would involve me having somewhere as a UK/london base, and travel back and forth on some regularity eg 3 weekends out of 4.  This would enable some continuity of earnings for a period of time eg 6months or a year as we get established out there (see below).  Spoilt/lucky/clever as currently on £60k+ p.a. although much of it currently goes on high rent, high train cost, and debt repayment.

Phase 2: get IT/business work in Galica, or possibly somewhere else reasonably commutable.  This would reduce commuting time and time away from the family, although bring in a much lower salary anyway (I'm assuming circa £20-40k for my kind of roles)

Phase 3: Quite IT/business for a period of time and instead live off the land, perhaps with occasional work in some other role or perhaps short term contracts like 3 months of the year.

The latter phase would rely on having got established a cycle of veg and animals on a smallholding.  Part of the joy of the plan is that the Aunts in spain have at least three plots of land, plus the parents in spain have a good chunk of land around the house we'd live in.  Once a good smallholding basis of this kind of cycle is setup, there obviously is a change to your cost of living so for example needing say £7,000 per year for living costs/bills and for once a year travel back to the UK to see family and do stuff.

So we have begun our planning which is really a research phase.

- I've emailed all the spanish IT contacts I know to ask their for advice and help (anyone reading this know recruitment agents in spain ideally with IT/business and Galician coverage.

- I've research how much a Mon to Friday room might cost in london (lower end seems to be around £350/390 pcm which is ok)

- We've started to tell more people that it's a firm plan (which makes it quite scary! and real).

- I've been loooking to change from my current IT/business job to another one (got two firm offers so far) to try to get a) more money per month to help in this meantime and b) try to negotiate a 'welcome bonus' or other deal to help pay off our current debts and to inject some cash for the move out process.

- Wife has been connecting with Home Educating families in Spain and Galicia as we do that here and would plan to continue.

Will write more soon about other research as we get it under way

Why am I here?  Why Spain? 

In a year's time, we plan to leave the UK and move to Spain.  sort of.  you'll see what I mean by that.

This blog will be a story, starting with our planning and research; progressing through into the move out>move in>settle down; and then hopefully a chronicle of the first year or more of our life once there.

My wife is Spanish, although has lived her life in the UK as her parents (and many from the region) came to the UK in the 50s and 60s.  They have all been back in Galica since the 80s and 90s and for the 10 years that my wife and I have been together, we've ached to be able to move in with them to be with them and care for them.  Circumstances have meant that we haven't been able to  : but 2016 marks the point when we potentially can and so we are going for it.

I'll work through the details, but initially we may run it so that I continue to work in the UK and travel back-and-forth regularly : that's part of the planning......

I hope to find some loyal readers and some great new contacts - in Galica, across Spain or anywhere in the world!