How did we get here?
/Confession: we’re Americans. I realize that carries its own baggage for any number of reasons, but please don’t hold it against us. I promise - we’re good people!
So just how did we find ourselves in Mijas, hopelessly mesmerized and drawn to this wonderful place? It’s an interesting journey and may help you understand the attraction that also draws others from all over the world.
It all started with a celebratory holiday trip in 2001. Yohanna is a teacher, originally certified to teach Physical Education, which she did when we lived in Miami, Florida and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After a brief move to Switzerland, we ultimately moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1997. The local school system has a policy that would potentially require a Physical Education teacher to have to serve different schools throughout our county. If you don’t know, Atlanta traffic is legendary. That made it a prohibitive option. Since Yohanna really loves teaching, she decided to go back to school to become certified to teach another subject that wouldn’t place the same burden of travel on her daily commute. After much thought, she decided to pursue certification to teach Spanish - allowing her to leverage her first language (having moved to the United States at the age of 7). Upon successfully completing a Spanish teaching degree, we decided that we would visit Spain for our upcoming summer holiday. Obvious choices for our itinerary included Madrid and Barcelona, but we also wanted to experience another part of the country. A good friend of our recommended the Costa del Sol in Andalucia. With nothing more than a region in mind, we undertook an internet search looking for something interesting and different from the “big city” options already selected. Through random luck, we found a site offering villa rentals in an urbanization called Mijas la Nueva. Hoping for an interesting stay, we booked a week in a villa for our family (including our two daughters who were 10 and 6 at the time).
Barcelona and Madrid were wonderful. However, it was that week in Mijas la Nueva that really set our hearts ablaze. The community had two beautiful pools that the girls enjoyed as much as we did. We played tennis each morning, watching the rising sun erase the shadows from the mountains behind the homes. The self-catering option of a fully stocked kitchen saw good use, as did two visits to The Carob Bar for a Sunday dinner. All of this was within walking distance of the beautiful Andalucian White Village of Mijas, with it’s sights, shops, restaurants, gardens, and narrow meandering lanes. We had never seen such serene views as we found while relaxing on the patio with some tapas and drinks. As timing would have it, there was a full moon that week. We watched as the impossibly large moon rose over the Mediterranean, creating a mirrored glow over the sea that shimmered with the waves. The days passed too quickly, and we left vowing to return again the next year - but instead of splitting time between different destinations, we decided we would spend three full weeks at Mijas la Nueva.
As the time for our return trip approached, we decided to exercise some curiosity and asked a local estate agent to send us some information on available properties in Mijas la Nueva. A second home in Europe had always appealed to us, but the many options for “where” had never been very apparent. After our previous trip, we thought maybe we had found “our place”.
Once we arrived, we settled right back into the dream state we’d experienced during our first visit. Everything was as magical as we remembered it - maybe even more so. We took several opportunities to view local properties, and with each viewing we were able to refine our “must have” and our “wish” lists. We saw a few places that were interesting, but nothing that really shouted, “THIS IS IT!”………until just before we were preparing to return home. The agent with whom we were working called to let us know that someone from their office was at a villa to take photos of a property that was about to go on the market. It was just a 5 minute walk from where we were staying, so with nothing to lose and a now well-defined list of our dream house, we walked over for a quick look. Quick look, indeed!
As we walked through the soon-to-be-for-sale villa, we consulted our list. Interesting that it seemed that this home ticked every “must have” box. More interesting…….it also ticked every “nice to have” box. The few challenges we notes while viewing other properties were notably absent here. Thirty minutes later, we looked at each other and said, “Have we just found what we’ve been looking for?”.
Now remember I confessed to being American. The Costa del Sol is heavily favored by ex-pats from Britain, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries. It’s not very unusual for northern Europeans to settle themselves in this sunny, warm region of the continent. The advent of the European Union makes it easy for those from other member countries to live and work in any of the EU nations (Brexit notwithstanding). But Americans? We’re few and far between (but we DO exist!).
That night was pretty restless. We each knew that “the dream” seemed somewhat remote - an exercise in “what if?”. But now the exercise had caught up to us. It was decision time. Were we serious about our desire to find a second home? With the benefit of a (restless) night to think about it, we agreed. Let’s do this, we said. And with that, we contacted the estate agent and told her we wanted to make an offer for the villa. For the balance of the day, we negotiated, thought, waited, and finally came to an agreement to buy our dream villa.
Now, a full 17 years later, we have absolutely no regrets. We have enjoyed every single moment we’ve been privileged to spend in Mijas. With the approach of retirement years, we’re now working on obtaining permission for permanent residency in Spain. We have found our paradise, and love to share it with others. We’re extremely fortunate that through a random series of events, we’ve been able to fulfill long-held desires. What advice do we have for others? Follow your dreams. Don’t let doubt hold you back. And if you’re curious about why so many people have chosen to find fulfillment in Mijas in general, and Mijas la Nueva in particular, feel free to contact us. We are always thrilled by the opportunity to share our story and help you with tips and advice.
Live the dream!