Have Visa, Will Travel: Moving to Spain as an African American

An African American in Spain – One Month Out

I’m holding in my hand the thing that makes it all real. A shiny, official Spanish visa pasted into my passport. It says, in no uncertain terms, “You’re going.” Not “you might go,” or “you’ll try.” You. Are. Going.

On July 30, I board a Boeing 787 to begin a new life in Oviedo, capital of Asturias in northern Spain. I’ll walk more. I’ll own less. I’ll inhale more green than concrete. Hopefully, I’ll have fewer migraines (though that part’s TBD).

Why I Chose Oviedo: A Simpler Life for an African American Moving to Spain

After years of tight schedules, traffic jams, and the mental clutter that seems endemic to life in the U.S., I’ve been yearning—aching, really—for simplicity:

• No car.

• No Amazon box towers.

• No constant political barrage.

Instead, I want walkable streets, Spanish-language conversations that challenge me (but don’t break me), and to live near parks instead of parking lots. The lush green comes from the ample rainfall, which is perfectly fine with me.

El Campo de San Francisco [Park], Oviedo (Image: Travel Blog and Guide)

Moving to Spain as an African American brings its own set of questions—about belonging, about language, about how I’ll be seen and treated. I’m not moving to a metropolis like Madrid or Barcelona. I chose Oviedo precisely because it’s quieter, greener, and less about spectacle and more about substance. I’m seeking peace, not flash. I’m bringing with me curiosity, openness, and a lifetime of experience navigating spaces not always designed with me in mind, whether in Ghana, the United States, Spain, or other places I've traveled to.

The Place

Oviedo isn’t flashy, and that’s what is attractive about it. It’s not trying to be Barcelona, Madrid, New York City, or Los Angeles. It’s a clean, safe city of about 220,000 tucked into a forested corner of Spain near the Bay of Biscay.

Oviedo is one of the northermost cities, cooler weather than many southern cities

Founded in 761 AD, Oviedo is dotted with cathedrals, cider bars, coffee shops, restaurants, and peacocks strutting through public parks like they run the place (because they kind of do).

Peacock in the Park (Image: Travel Blog and Guide)

The medieval heart of the city hasn’t been ripped out (yet) by overdevelopment.

Gothic Cathedral of San Salvador, Oviedo (Image: Go Guides)

The Spanish Curve

I speak Spanish, but here in Southern Californian, my dialect has been marinated in Latin American spice. Euro-Spanish has a different recipe ingredients. I’m readying for the vosotros curveballs and the Asturian accent quirks by taking classes now, which I'll continue in Oviedo. I expect to make classic blunders like misunderstanding idioms or ordering something totally unintended at restaurants. I'll need to get used to the stares that many Africans and African Americans have commented on. Those looks are of curiosity, however, not the "rascist" glares we experience in the US.

The Migraine Question

Let’s be honest: airports are a horror show when you’re migraine-prone. Noise, crowds, flashing screens, fluorescent lights. It’s a full assault on the nervous system. I’m prepping like it’s a special ops mission—hydration, noise-canceling gear, backup meds, meditation, and rest to the degree it's possible.

We all know the drill (Image: Stock Cake)

Will the migraines follow me to Spain? Maybe. But I hope that once I’m settled in—walking more, breathing cleaner air, shedding stress, and taking in the Spanish equestrian tradition—they’ll take a back seat.

The Mood, Today

Right now, I feel like a man straddling two worlds:👛 One foot still planted in the life I know.🚏 The other on an e-bike somewhere in Oviedo, coasting downhill into something freer.

Public E-bikes are plentiful in Oviedo

There’s excitement, yes. But also nerves. Will I be lonesome? Will I find community? Will I miss Sprout’s unsweetened peanut butter? But fear doesn’t mean stop. It just means go with awareness.

One Month Out

So here I am. Visa in hand. Exit in sight.

This blog—An African American in Spain—will be a space to track this journey: the culture shocks, the laughs, the lows, the new connections, the discoveries around every corner.

If you’ve ever thought about changing your life—really changing it—you’ll want to stick around.It’s not always easy. But it’s always worth writing about.