VALENCIA, Spain — Gigi Gonzalez, a 36-year-old financial educator and entrepreneur, has traded the hustle of Chicago for the slower rhythm of Valencia, Spain. Since moving there with her husband in May 2025, she has slashed her workweek to just 16 hours, allowing her to embrace what she calls a semi-retired lifestyle. 'You get one life. Live it right,' Gonzalez said in a recent interview, encapsulating the philosophy that drove her overseas.
Gonzalez's transformation began years earlier, rooted in a moment of personal reflection. In 2019, while speaking at a high-school career day about her job in financial services, she found herself repeatedly advising students to study abroad — something she regretted not doing herself. 'After repeating my regret through seven different presentations that day, [I] decided it wasn't too late for [me] to live abroad as an adult,' she recounted. That epiphany sparked a two-year savings plan, during which she amassed about $20,000 aimed at funding a year-long sabbatical.
The COVID-19 pandemic derailed those initial plans in 2020, but Gonzalez pivoted. In April 2021, she launched The First Gen Mentor, her own business focused on providing financial education to first-generation students and young professionals of color. As a content creator, author, and advocate — including her role as a financial advocate for Intuit — she built a flexible operation that could operate remotely. A few years into entrepreneurship, Gonzalez realized her work could follow her anywhere, reviving her dream of living abroad.
After researching options, the couple chose Spain for several practical reasons. Gonzalez, who holds dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship — her parents were born in Mexico — qualifies for Spanish citizenship after just two years of residency. Spanish was her first language, easing any potential cultural adjustment. Moreover, Spain introduced its digital nomad visa in late 2023, specifically designed for foreign freelancers, remote workers, and self-employed individuals earning income from outside the country.
To prepare for the move, Gonzalez and her husband saved more than $20,000 between July 2024 and April 2025. They achieved this by selling furniture and adopting 'values-based spending,' as Gonzalez described it. 'It didn't feel like deprivation; it felt like I was budgeting towards a greater purpose of moving abroad,' she said. Impulsive purchases were curtailed — no new furniture, plants, or clothes — with the rule that anything not fitting into three suitcases wouldn't make the cut.
Gonzalez secured her digital nomad visa in April 2025, listing her husband as a dependent. He works in operations for an international company and arranged a transfer to its Spanish subsidiary. The visa grants three years of residency, during which Gonzalez plans to apply for full Spanish citizenship. Since arriving in Valencia, her routine has shifted dramatically. She now works only Monday through Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., aligning with her U.S.-based clients' schedules. Fridays are reserved for personal errands: dentist visits, dog grooming, or getting her nails done.
The lower cost of living in Spain has been pivotal to this reduced workload. In Chicago, the couple paid $3,700 monthly for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment downtown. In Valencia, their two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom unit costs 1,900 euros, or about $2,200 at current exchange rates. Health insurance, another stark contrast, dropped from over $400 per month for a high-deductible U.S. employer plan to around $200 monthly for private coverage in Spain, with no copays or deductibles. 'It's really shocking as an American,' Gonzalez said. 'I don't think twice about going to the doctor for something because there's no copays; it's already paid for.'
These savings allow Gonzalez to work as little as 16 hours — occasionally up to 20 — per week while maintaining comfort. Her mornings are leisurely: breakfast, exercise, self-care, and lunch before logging on. This shift has 'completely transformed' her work-life balance, she said, fostering a sense of semi-retirement without a windfall or rate hikes. Early and aggressive investing during the pandemic also plays a key role. Gonzalez allocated up to 35% of her income to retirement accounts, building a portfolio exceeding $220,000.
'That means that I have enough in my investments now that I don't have to add more money,' Gonzalez explained, 'and I can still retire at the traditional age of 65 without adding another dollar, just by letting compound interest do its magic.'
With retirement secured, her current earnings cover only daily expenses. 'If one day I want to stop [running my business] and just go be a barista or a waitress, I can do that, because I just need to pay for my current expenses,' she noted. 'I don't need to earn more to put towards retirement.' Looking ahead, Gonzalez envisions a long-term stay in Spain, where lower costs — particularly for medical care — make full retirement even more attainable. Yet, she's in no rush. 'I'm not rushing to retire because I'm semi-retired,' she said, appreciating the slower pace that doesn't make decades of work feel daunting.
Not everything about the transition has been seamless. Operating a business across two countries introduces complexities and costs. Gonzalez maintains a U.S.-based tax team to keep her LLC compliant, and her digital nomad visa requires registering the business in Spain, necessitating a local tax team as well. Her monthly tax assistance, once $350, has nearly doubled to $700. 'It was a big learning curve in the beginning, but I've adjusted,' she acknowledged.
Gonzalez's story has inspired others, though she notes many friends and family were surprised by how long she'd been planning. When she shared her intentions, reactions often highlighted the perceived overwhelm of the process. 'A lot of people see [others] living their best life in Europe, and then they look into the process, they get overwhelmed, and they don't do it,' she observed. She advises potential expats to clarify their motivations first, then build systems and shift their 'money mindset' to achieve those goals.
Inspiration for Gonzalez came from varied sources: that pivotal career day, binge-watching episodes of 'House Hunters International,' and travels abroad where she longed to extend her stays. These moments fueled her through the research, saving, and adaptation phases. Valencia, with its Mediterranean vibe and affordability, has proven an ideal fit, allowing her to prioritize life over labor in ways unimaginable back in Chicago.
The broader appeal of Spain's digital nomad visa underscores a growing trend among American professionals seeking better balance. Since its launch, the program has attracted thousands, drawn by the country's quality of life and tax incentives for remote workers. Gonzalez's experience highlights how strategic planning and lower living costs can enable such moves, potentially reshaping career norms for freelancers and entrepreneurs.
As she settles into this new chapter, Gonzalez reflects on the regrets that could have lingered. 'This is definitely one of the things for me, if I would have been on my deathbed, I would regret never experiencing life abroad,' she said. For now, her semi-retired days in Spain offer a blueprint for others contemplating similar leaps, proving that with preparation, a fulfilling life overseas is within reach.