Discovering
The Good Life Abroad
What It's Really Like to Live Abroad in Europe — Discovering The Good Life Abroad
Barcelona has a way of getting under your skin. The wide promenades, the rhythm of long lunches, the way the light hits the old stone at dusk — it's the kind of city that makes you want to stay longer than you planned. For Therese Gavin, a month with The Good Life Abroad in Barcelona didn't just meet expectations. It gave her withdrawal symptoms when she came home to Michigan.
"We had withdrawals when we came back to the United States," she told founder Andrew Motiwalla in our recent "Discovering The Good Life Abroad" webinar. "I do feel like we actually lived there — not just visited."
That feeling — of living somewhere rather than passing through — is exactly what The Good Life Abroad is designed to create. In the webinar, Andrew walked through every aspect of the program, and Therese shared her personal experience as a Barcelona alumna. Here's what they covered.
From Dream to Reality: How Slow Travel Abroad Works
Many of us carry a quiet dream of living in Europe. Maybe for a month, maybe longer. But between the logistics, the language barrier, the question of what to do if something goes wrong — it stays a dream.
Andrew Motiwalla built The Good Life Abroad to solve exactly that problem. After nearly 30 years in the travel industry, he kept hearing the same thing: people wanted more than a tour, but didn't know how to make the leap to living abroad on their own.
"The idea was to simplify the whole thing," Andrew explained. "Make it totally turnkey so you can realize your dream of living abroad in Europe — and our secret sauce really boils down to community."
Every Good Life Abroad program is built around three pillars: a modern, vetted apartment; a built-in community of like-minded travelers; and a local Community Manager who brings it all to life.
The Apartment: More Than Just a Place to Sleep
Forget the European shoebox. Good Life Abroad apartments are spacious, well-equipped, and located just outside the tourist center — close enough to walk to the sights, but planted firmly in neighborhoods where locals actually live.
Therese and her husband booked a two-bedroom in Barcelona's Arc de Triomf neighborhood, and it delivered on every front. The building featured a rooftop with a pool, a full gym, and an evening yoga class. The apartment itself had a full kitchen, a balcony, a washer, and bathrooms so beautiful that "we came home ready to remodel ours," Therese laughed.
The location was a standout. Two metro entrances within walking distance. The Parc de la Ciutadella just down the promenade. The Gothic Quarter and El Born a 15-minute walk away. Restaurants and grocery markets right around the corner.
"Anybody going to Barcelona — the apartments are just wonderful," she said. "You will not regret it."
A few things worth knowing: most programs have elevators, or apartments on lower floors. Laundry is handled with a washer and drying rack (standard across Europe). Guests are welcome to visit — no extra charge — though they're asked not to join the scheduled community activities.
Community Life: Your Tribe, Your Pace
Here's where The Good Life Abroad truly sets itself apart. The program is cohort-based — everyone starts together, meets on a pre-departure Zoom call, and arrives ready to connect. From there, the rhythm of community life unfolds naturally.
Every week includes a Tuesday Lunch Club, a Wednesday cultural activity, and a Thursday happy hour. These aren't filler events — they're carefully curated experiences designed to take you somewhere you'd never find on your own.
In Barcelona, Community Manager Tina led the group to hidden neighborhood restaurants, organized a hands-on paella and tapas cooking class, a mosaic-making workshop, guided tours of city neighborhoods, and a day trip to Montserrat. Happy hours happened on rooftops and in local bars where the regulars are Barcelonans, not tourists.
"She always took us to places I would never have thought of going to," Therese said. "And I do a lot of research when I travel."
Equally important: everything is optional. Friday through Monday are completely unscheduled — time to explore independently, take day trips, sleep in, or simply wander a new neighborhood with no agenda.
A WhatsApp community keeps everyone connected between events. Travelers create their own subgroups based on interests — running, books, weekend getaways, dinner plans — and the organic connections that grow from there are often the most memorable part of the trip.
"I found my tribe," is something Andrew hears often from alumni. "As you retire, your priorities shift. And then you find this group of people who love travel at a deep level and cultural immersion — and you just click."
The average group is around 15 people, skewing toward age 67 or so, with solo travelers making up about a third. Couples and solos mix easily. It works.
Your Community Manager: Local Expert, Built-In Friend
Every Good Life Abroad destination has a Community Manager — a local person who knows the city inside and out and is dedicated to helping you make the most of your time there.
Tina, Barcelona's Community Manager, handled everything from orienting the group on their first full day (including a hands-on metro tutorial) to sending WhatsApp recommendations in real time — the best croissants in the city, where to eat after an evening class, what's happening this weekend that you won't want to miss.
She also meets one-on-one with every participant early in the program to understand their interests and help them plan. Foodie? She'll point you toward the markets and the restaurants worth the wait. Museum lover? She knows the ones the guidebooks miss.
"You felt like she was there all the time for you," Therese said.
Community Managers are available Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, via WhatsApp — and their local knowledge tends to show up in the most unexpected, useful ways.
What to Consider Before You Go
The Good Life Abroad experience is intentionally local and independent. That means a few things to think about:
Walking is part of daily life. Barcelona is one of the more walkable European cities — relatively flat, with excellent public transit — but you'll be on your feet regularly. Being comfortable with that, and with navigating stairs (in sights and metro stations), will make a real difference.
Technology is the connective tissue. WhatsApp is the primary communication tool. Google Maps gets you to every event. Comfort with a smartphone is genuinely important — and your Community Manager will help you get set up.
It's not a tour. There's no bus picking you up at 8 a.m. You navigate to lunch on your own, in your own time. That independence is the point — but it's worth knowing before you arrive.
Language? In Barcelona, English is widely spoken. A few words of Spanish (or even Catalan) go a long way toward feeling local, but it's not a barrier.
Program Options
The Good Life Abroad offers two main program types:
Signature Month-Long Programs are available in larger cities across Europe — Barcelona, Lisbon, Madrid, Florence, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and more. This is the full immersive experience.
Two-Week Short Stays offer the same structure and community in smaller cities — Porto, Granada, Edinburgh, Nice, Bordeaux, and others — ideal for extending a month-long program or as a standalone experience.
Solo traveler sessions, Bring Your Own Housing, and specialty programs round out the options.
Pricing varies by destination, apartment size, number of travelers, and season. Everything is included in the program fee — apartment, all scheduled activities, Tuesday Lunch Club, happy hours, cultural excursions, travel medical insurance, and Community Manager support. Airfare, airport transfers, groceries, and optional independent trips are separate.
To explore availability and pricing, visit thegoodlifeabroad.com and click Book Now.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If Barcelona — or any of our other 20+ destinations across Europe — has been calling your name, there's no better way to imagine the experience than hearing it directly from someone who's lived it.
Watch the full webinar recording, then reach out to our team at info@thegoodlifeabroad.com with any questions. Many 2026 programs are already filling up, and waitlists are available for sold-out sessions.
Wherever you are, you deserve the good life.