Month: September 2015

So Many Questions!

On By laurasuzyIn Research and PlanningLeave a comment

As we begin this adventure, I have so many questions!

  1. Where is the most reliable broadband internet coverage?  Can we get the speed we need for Ryan to work there?  What about satellite internet?  http://www.internetandalucia.com/
  2. How much do private or semi-private spanish schools cost?  (I think maybe ~$5k per year per kid?)
  3. How do schools handle mid-year transfers?  Can our kids enroll mid-year?
  4. Would it be better to put the 10 yr olds in a bilingual private school, rather than spanish public school?
  5. Where are there evangelical churches, and what are they like?  Are they casual, modern, and less liturgical?
  6. Do we want to choose a place in the Mediterranean climate?  (Here’s a good article about climate areas: http://www.spanish-town-guides.com/Weather_in_Spain.htm)
  7. For a 1-2 yr move, should we plan on going with only basic clothing and books, or should we ship other household belongings (kitchen stuff, furniture, etc)?
  8. Can we bring the van with us?
  9. What about bringing the cat?

The Journey Almost Might Could Possibly Begin!

On By Ryan HammondIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Last Friday, my employer and I first discussed the possibility of working my US-based IT job from overseas.  WOW!  I was floored!  I didn’t see that coming.  Living abroad with our family has been a dream for 20 years.  Laura and I are extremely motivated to do what we can to make this dream a reality, though there are so many hurdles to overcome… it’s quite overwhelming.

The first hurdles are corporate.  It’s fine to shoot the breeze with the boss about the idea, but would The Company(TM) approve?  How about our customer?  Does the current contract allow overseas employees?  The answers to all these questions was very positive!  We ran the concept all the way to the top of the company and over to our customer’s contracts team.  Everyone supported the idea and said it should be fine (assuming I can accomplish the work via broadband)

Our next steps:

  • Figure out visa needs (non-lucrative residence visa may be best choice)
  • Investigate regions for suitability and advantages
  • Plan a short trip to scope out the land