Interview: Life in Spain

With so many ex pats and traveling entrepreneurs residing in Spain, these past few months have been challenging to say the least! The inability to travel home and see loved ones combined with the alarmed state Spain has been in has made the usual remote life not as freeing as it can be. We decided to ask our long term coworker, Artem from Russia, about his living and working experience in Spain. Here he lets us in on what it’s been like to work remotely from Spain, and especially right now during the pandemic.

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your life personally and professionally in Spain?

I have been working remotely in Valencia for over one year now. I really like the city and usually me and my family enjoy exploring and making the most of the great weather here. But as you can imagine it has been very different over the last few months!

It was very difficult for me to stay at home for so much time because I prefer to go out and meet people. I am part of the coworking space for this reason and I like to attend other coworking events and networking meet ups too. Fortunately, I work online so there was no problem at all regarding my job and I could continue as usual from home.

Now that we are in the “new normality” and we can go back to work and live somewhat “normal” lives again… Do you feel safe in Valencia?  Do you think the international alarm concerning Spain right now is justified?

I really don’t want to sound too harsh when I say this, but I don’t agree with this “new normal”. For me, it’s not normal at all when people have to wear face masks everywhere they go, especially now in summer when it’s so hot! I don’t think it is good for your health, that’s just my opinion.

I feel safe in Valencia as do my family. I don’t think the international news about Spain being a dangerous country to visit is justified at all. It is the same as every country right now. Everyone needs to work, not stay at home and wait for help from the public administration.

Of course, health comes first, but people should be following safety protocols and continuing with their daily lives.

Let’s talk about more positive things… We know you have taken advantage of this break to start learning Spanish. Why?

Yes that’s right! After the quarantine, I wasted no time and signed up for Spanish classes. It was something I had been considering over the break and so I started right away. I feel like it is a fresh start and I wanted to start by learning more about this language and culture.

That’s Great! One last question. What advice would you give to other coworkers, digital nomads, or people in general who maybe are not completely convinced to come to Spain?

I cannot talk about the situation in the whole country, because I don’t know about it. But from what I see everyday here in Valencia makes me feel calm and live a relaxed lifestyle.

There are many interesting places to visit here in Spain, and of course I really like living so close to the beach!

Valencia is a very nice city, with not so many tourists. This is great because it feels like a more liveable city and also makes the city more safe than Madrid or Barcelona. And also I think that during this “new normal” Valencia has had a smoother transition back to reality than Madrid or Barelcona, so that has been better for us here.

If you are interested in doing something like Artem and moving to a city in Spain while joining a coworking community, we can certainly help.

For more info on International Coworking Valencia in Spain, click here.