Victor Trac, age 45, hails from South Carolina and resided in Europe for several years after university alongside his future wife.
The couple built their family in Austin prior to relocating with their two children to Spain and subsequently New Zealand.
After scouting locations along the East Coast for the perfect residence, they established roots in Portland, Maine.

This first-person account stems from an interview with Victor Trac, 45, a DevOps engineer and entrepreneur. The narrative has been refined for conciseness and clarity.

Raised in South Carolina, I harbored a keen interest in computers from a young age. Throughout high school, I assembled and marketed personal computers to peers and their families while delivering technical assistance, all before pursuing degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics.

Following graduation, my girlfriend of the moment, Rebecca - now my wife and a companion from our elementary school days - secured a teaching role in France, prompting me to accompany her. We then spent three years based in Germany, venturing across Europe during weekends.

In 2008, we returned stateside and chose Austin, coinciding with the rise of its vibrant startup environment.

Fifteen years on, Austin had evolved far beyond the welcoming locale we originally embraced. Our children, then 9 and 12, aligned perfectly with our plan for a family sabbatical year.

We were also certain Texas held no long-term appeal for us.

The Family's Overseas Adventure

Given our children's enrollment in a bilingual primary school and their proficiency in Spanish, Spain emerged as our destination for the year.

In 2023, we settled in Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of Spain's Basque Country, leasing a fully equipped duplex within a highly walkable city nestled amid mountains. A notable challenge arose: the local school delivered instruction mainly in Basque, a tongue bearing no resemblance to Spanish.

My children faced initial difficulties - my daughter scarcely uttered a word upon arrival - yet within three months, both had acclimated. Bonds with peers developed, linguistic hurdles diminished, and the entire episode surpassed our expectations.

Mornings involved trail running amid the peaks, afternoons focused on remote collaboration with American clients and colleagues, and evenings centered on family meals. Daily rhythms felt more deliberate and unhurried compared to Austin.

Upon concluding the academic term, we hired a camper van for an extensive drive through southern Europe, followed by visits to acquaintances and relatives in Ireland.

Returning to the US in August 2024, our Austin residence remained leased, and we craved further exploration. My wife yearned for a locale offering four pronounced seasons, absent in Texas.

Launching a 'City Shopping' Expedition

We dedicated months to East Coast travels, booking Airbnbs to sample urban prospects, with my wife overseeing homeschooling and me maintaining remote employment. By December, Portland, Maine, stood out decisively.

Mid-year school transitions posed complications, leading us to allocate early 2025 to New Zealand, where visitor visas permit school attendance for young visitors up to three months.

We registered the children at a Christchurch school on the South Island and departed. En route at Sydney airport, complications emerged: Air New Zealand demanded evidence of departure due to our one-way flights. I hastily purchased pricy, refundable onward tickets via smartphone to proceed.

The children finished a full term as we undertook another expansive road journey across New Zealand. I occupied days with tennis and once pedaled the demanding Alps-to-Ocean route over three days, laptop secured in my pack.

Prior to Maine, we savored three weeks in Japan.

Reacclimating to American Daily Life Brought Fresh Challenges

Overseas in Spain and New Zealand, routines emphasized walkability and community ties. Stateside, car dependency resurfaced abruptly.

Routine expenses jarred us anew. Northern Spain offered espresso and fresh pinchos at corner cafes for mere euros; American equivalents, burdened by tips, escalated costs sharply.

Certain foreign encounters reshaped my perspective on trust. In New Zealand, I borrowed a costly camera lens using only my name scribbled on paper - sans identification or collateral. Such faith endures vividly.

On the Primary Hurdle of Expat Life

Truthfully, no single obstacle dominated.

Spanish red tape proved cumbersome, yet we embraced it as adventure fuel. The children displayed extraordinary resilience, seldom voicing discontent amid upheavals.

Maintaining ties with US kin and contacts proved straightforward via video and texts, despite occasional scheduling woes from time shifts.

Today, we thrive in Portland, with the children - now 14 and 10 - engaged in schooling and routines. We intend to remain at least through my daughter's high school graduation.