Alynne Rousseeuw

Allin is originally from Belgium and has lived in Spain for eight years. Many of the people we interviewed in Spain came here in search of happiness ever after. Some, like Arin, took their happiness home with them.

Her story begins when her then-boyfriend suggests she move abroad. She says: “It was my boyfriend’s idea, he used to run a bar in Belgium while I was studying, but he sold it and worked for a friend for a year. And He said to me, “I want to move to Spain.” Alin, then 22, had just finished studying social work and had never been to Spain before, but she had already met her partner. Family and friends were here.

Asked if he had visited Spain before moving there, Allyn replied: “No.

“We’ve been here twice, and I think you learn more as a person by doing something like this, where you venture outside of what you know, than by staying in the same area for the rest of your life. This is where we learned Spanish and about a new country.

Did you find it easy to find a community here?

“There are a lot of Belgians here. I first worked in a Belgian bar and found a community there. Also, I was mostly working in my own language, so it was easy.”

“People were so nice that I could ask them anything.” She says her friends helped her start her own business.

“You could say restaurants and bars are in our blood. I grew up in restaurants and my boyfriend always ran bars. A year later, I opened my own bar here. We were lucky to know a lot of our customers who moved in with us when we opened. “We had a lot of help from other bar owners as well.”

Alin’s bar, Bar Maski, has proven to be a great success.

It’s been 7 years since we opened. It is known for its lively entertainment and cozy atmosphere. Bar Maschi will host a Fire and Rain show later this year, with live music from the supergroup A las Raices once a month.

Like many expats, Arin loves the weather here but misses his family.

“The hard part about living here is leaving your family and friends here. Belgium, I still miss them some days, but this truly is my heart and home. We have a very large group of friends who love going to the beach and walking, and we have a large dog. One of my favorite activities is going swimming in the ocean. I always love being by the sea, but I’d rather be warm than cold.

Discover the wider expat community with European language speaking interviews.