We’re Rhys and Shannon, in love for 23+ years and married for almost 13. Our journey has taken us from Indianapolis, IN to Portland, OR, and then to Atlanta, GA where we lived for 16 years. Rhys worked in communications and marketing for 20 years before switching gears to become a real estate agent in 2014. Shannon’s background is in social services and higher education, and in 2013 she took the leap to start her own business as a professional organizer, helping people bring order and calm to their homes and lives.

For years, we dreamed of living in Europe and had a loose plan to make it happen in 2020. When Covid turned the world upside down, we had to pause and regroup. Concerned about travel and health, we put our dream on hold and focused on growing our businesses. The pull to move abroad never faded.

Rhys, being a researcher extraordinaire, dove into exploring gay-friendly places in Europe with a reasonable cost of living and a temperate climate. Spain and Portugal quickly rose to the top of the list. In October 2023, we planned a scouting trip, three weeks in Valencia in December, followed by a month in Portugal (Porto, Lisbon, Nazaré, and Lagos) in January 2024.

From the moment we arrived in Valencia, we were absolutely hooked: the mild weather, laid-back lifestyle, welcoming community, and fabulous location on the Mediterranean Sea. Portugal was wonderful too, but it just didn’t have the same strong pull.

When we returned to the U.S. at the end of January, we set a new plan in motion: figure out how to obtain a visa and live in Spain for at least a year. With an upcoming presidential election looming and a growing desire for change, we knew it was time to stop waiting and start living our dream.

Follow our adventures at IncrediblyTrueAdventures.com.