Cait Church
My wife and I spent over a decade working in Nashville's music industry before we decided to step off of the corporate ladder.
We met while working at different record labels, and there were many things we enjoyed about our jobs — traveling to new places, attending industry events, and seeing artists we believed in grow from small showcases to arenas.
But as the years went by, the constant grind began to take its toll.
We were traveling every weekend, juggling endless projects, and attending frequent late-night events, all while trying to maintain our personal lives. Eventually, the burnout became impossible to ignore.
It wasn't just the demanding schedule that had us rethinking our future. The political climate in the US, particularly in Tennessee, added to our sense of unease. Nashville, which had once felt like home, no longer seemed like the right place for us.
We knew we needed a change — something that would allow us to reset and rediscover what we really wanted out of life.
That's when our idea to do an "adult gap year" started to take shape.
For our "adult gap year," we decided to step away from our jobs and lives to travel for 12 months. We knew it was risky to take mid-career breaks and quit stable jobs, but we were fortunate enough to have some financial flexibility.
Both of us had bought homes in Nashville long before the real-estate boom, so they were worth more than we'd paid.
Selling my wife's house gave us the resources we needed to fund a year of travel and a down payment on a home wherever we decided to land.
Leaving behind the lives we'd built in Nashville was scary, but it felt right for us. So, we packed up our belongings, grabbed our one-eyed rescue dog, and set off on our adventure.
Cait Church
Our travels initially focused on Portugal and Spain.
We stayed in bustling town centers and quiet beach towns, sampling local cuisines, wandering through centuries-old cathedrals, and getting lost in the winding streets of ancient cities.
Each place had its own unique charm, but one stood out above the rest: València, Spain. When we arrived, it didn't take long for us to fall in love.
València's sunny beaches, vibrant city center, leisurely paella lunches, and sense of calm made it feel like the place we'd been searching for — one we were meant to call home.
We continued our travels across France, Montenegro, Greece, Albania, Ireland, and England — but València kept calling to us.
Cait Church
By the end of our year abroad, we decided to settle in València and apply for residency so we could officially make Spain our home.
As we settle into our new life, we're also transitioning back to work, this time remotely and with a fresh outlook.
For many people, the idea of walking away from a career and moving abroad seems impossible, something only to consider in retirement. But we didn't want to wait and maybe regret it later.
Our gap year wasn't just about escaping burnout — it was about rediscovering what truly mattered to us. We wanted to experience joy, have work-life balance, and live life on our own terms.
Our risk paid off, and we found the balance and fulfillment our lives had been missing all along.
