Our first weeks in Spain

Get this episode's full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis talk through Spain's housing crisis, and get the English for every line, the Spanish for a vulture fund, and what Rob paid for a flat in central Valencia ten years ago – and what it would cost today:👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcriptsEvicted at 87 from the Madrid flat she'd lived in for 70 years, Maricarmen became the face of Spain's housing crisis. Rob and Lis tell her story, then look at the figures behind it – very little public housing, rents that have doubled in ten years, young people who can't afford to leave home – and compare it with London and Colombia. Plus the solutions on the table, from a ban on evicting vulnerable households to a 2% cap on rent rises, and whether any of them will make a real difference.Claim your first free complete transcript here:👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/housing-crisis

Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis compare what they expected from Spain with what they've actually found, and get the English for every line, the Colombian way to say someone speaks bluntly, and how politely a Colombian thief asks for your phone:👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcriptsAlmost seven months after the move, Rob and Lis put their expectations of Spain next to reality. Lis talks about her fear of not being welcomed as a migrant and her doubts about the northern weather; Rob remembers the two years he spent in Spain after university and why he always wanted to come back. Then the surprises – an easy school search, how blunt Spaniards can sound after Colombian politeness, making friends at the school gate – and a tricky question: when can you really say you've adapted?Claim your first free complete transcript here:👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/adapting-to-spain

Read this episode word for word, free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis look back on their first weeks in Spain, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for shorts, and what happened when a mother and daughter cut across an Easter procession:👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcriptsOviedo was the plan. Rob and Lis arrived in Asturias sure it would be home, then spent weeks in Airbnbs waiting for their visa, in a rental market where most flats were only for students – and Rob found it all far more stressful than Lis did. So how did they end up in Gijón? A day at San Lorenzo beach, a shocking moment at a Semana Santa procession, and a visa approved without anyone ever saying yes.Claim your first free complete transcript here:👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/first-weeks-spain

Get this episode’s full transcript free, plus 2 more of your choice. Don’t miss a single word as Rob and Lis tell the story of their last weeks in Colombia, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for a traffic jam, and what happened to Rob’s celebratory glass of cava on the plane:👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcriptsHow do you pack up a life in Colombia with two small kids and move to Spain? Rob and Lis pick up where the last episode left off: a deal “signed in blood”, a visa approved by silence, house keys that vanish on moving day, and a shortcut through one of Bogotá’s toughest neighbourhoods that nearly leaves them stranded.Do you know what these mean? dejar en ascuas · el punto álgido · menos mal · trancónClaim your first free complete transcript here:👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/last-days-colombia

Unlock the full transcript of this episode, plus 2 more, free. Don't miss a single word as Rob and Lis explain why they left Colombia for Spain, and get the English for every line, the Colombian word for a pijo, and why Valencia was off the list after four days:👉 spanishobsessed.com/transcriptsWhy would you leave a big house in Colombia's Coffee Region, with help, family and friends close by, for the north of Spain? Back after a long break, Rob and Lis get honest about what tipped the balance: safety, life in a gated-community bubble, and parks you have to pay to use. Plus the scouting trip that crossed Valencia and a small English town off the list, how the Camino de Santiago led them to Asturias, and why the supermarkets matter more to Rob than you'd think.Do you know what these mean?cambiar el chip · pellizcarse · por las nubes · dar un paso en falsoClaim your first free complete transcript here:👉 spanishobsessed.com/go/colombia-to-spain

What are 3 things that Rob and Lis admire from each other's culture, and would like to introduce into their own?Check out our new Obsessives programme, for intermediate Spanish learners: https://www.spanishobsessed.com/become-an-obsessive/

Rob and Lis discuss how various "barrios" in Colombia's cities have undergone transformations, using tourism to rejuvenate themselves. We discuss the case of "Egipto" in Bogotá, and "Comuna 13" in Medellin. Have these projects been successful, and what are the tours like?For more Spanish materials, courses, and bonuses, head on over to spanishobsessed.com!

So, our time in Colombia is nearly up! After over 4 years living here, we're leaving. In this episode, we reflect on what we'll most miss about the country.Head to spanishobsessed.com to check out our "Obsessives" programme!

Rob and Lis break down 5 big areas that learners often go wrong when learning Spanish.For full transcripts, notes, and lots more learning material, head to spanishobsessed.com.

We talk about our opinions and philosophy of private and public schools (or "state and public" for our English listeners!). How do they compare in Colombia, and what's the perspective here?Don't forget to download your free Fluency Guide from spanishobsessed.com.