Ernesto & MarĂa â One Couple, Two Continents
Ernesto and MarĂa, both from Central Spain, met in a research lab in Madrid, where they were carrying out their studies for their respective PhDs. In 2009, they were granted a scholarship to continue their studies at UC Berkeley. They packed their bags and off they went on their adventure together!
As Spaniards living in the States, they talk us through their experiences adjusting to this new culture that they were discovering. They lived in Berkeley for three years and eventually moved to Baltimore, MD, following the research project they were immersed in. There, they discovered that wealth and poverty can be just one street away.
When they had their first child in the USA, however, they stumbled upon one of the main reasons they ultimately returned to Spain: the private health care system. People from Spain are definitely not used to being handed an invoice on their way out of the hospital, after allâŠ
When you receive the bill, you think:  âOh, God⊠How much is it going to be?â (MarĂa, 38:50)
Ernesto and MarĂa explain their experience, not only with health care, but also with the work culture in the USA and with other aspects of residency. Tune in to their interview to learn more.
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MarĂa Ăngeles Recuero Checa and Ernesto Arias Palomo were born and raised in central Spain, and met during their PhD studies in Madrid. They decided to continue their research in the US, which led them to work at UC Berkeley (CA) and then at Johns Hopkins University (MD). In 2017, they returned to Madrid, where Maria is working as a high-school biology teacher and Ernesto as the head of a research lab at the Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC).
Javi & Silvia â From Spain to London and Back Again
After living in London for nearly a decade and having a child while abroad, Javier GarcĂa Nieva and Silvia MartĂnez Andres decided to move back to their native Spain to put down roots and continue to grow their family and business.
Javi and Silvia had known each other their whole lives before they embarked on their journey together as a couple. Today, they live in Central Spain with their daughter and son, but it was a long journey to get here!
The couple moved to London in search of better job opportunities. The work culture in the UK, they tell us, differs from the one in Spain. If you work, you thrive. This is the main reason they left their home country in the first place: it was now or never.
“In Spain, I always felt that there was someone not wanting you to progress.” (Silvia, 12:09)
While thriving on a professional level, they also faced many challenges, especially regarding language. Not being able to express their needs and emotions precisely was definitely a humbling experience.
With the birth of their daughter in 2016 and in the middle of the Brexit turmoil, they decided to move back to Spain, where their son was born. Having lived and worked in two countries, Javier and Silvia share some interesting insights on other topics such as dealing with the taxman and universal healthcare. What was their experience like? Tune in and find out!