Kiki's Casa: the search for our Spanish dream home

And then... the idea came to rent for a year. After a long search, we ended up in Xaló (also known as Jalón in Spanish): a fairly quiet village located inland from the Costa Blanca, mainly known for its delicious wines and the local flea market. Such a picturesque cute spot. Yes, I could definitely be happy here.

The advantages of this house? The location is simply amazing. Read: supermarket and yoga class within walking distance, nice restaurants around the corner, and on Saturdays the cozy market. It is also quite large for the two of us, has enough bedrooms for family and friends, and a nice swimming pool.

The disadvantages? It is a bit pricey for rent and the view from the garden is not really pleasant. You look straight at the neighbor's house, including a dilapidated shed with a collapsed roof and a very neglected garden. Also, you would be renting it furnished, including, well, traditional furniture, shall we say. The place has potential to spruce it up, but it also looks a bit sad.

Well, we have to do something, I think on the way home in the car. My brain is working overtime. Yes or no? In the distance, I hear Sander say that it might not be the ‘photogenic’ spot I have in mind, but that we also need to think practically from this point on. And it is indeed a practical house. It meets many of the requirements we have.

Yikes. I've never been one for practicality, but for the first time I somewhat understand what he is saying. We have to start somewhere, right? Was it perhaps too optimistic and naive to think that we could buy our dream house in one go?

And it's true: the house does have a lot of potential, and if we spruce it up, it could really be a cozy spot. But do you want to invest so much in a rental house that you might move out of in a year or two? And will the neighbor ever do something about his dilapidated shed, or can I just get over the fact that my view from the garden is not what I had hoped for?

Does it actually matter with a rental house? We want to move forward. We decide to message the realtor that we will sign the rental contract the next afternoon.

That night, I can't sleep a wink.
Stomach ache.

I am torn by doubt.

Why does this feel so strange?

I should be happy, right?

Is this my intuition?

I want so badly to find a place that I totally don't know what I think anymore and what the right path for us is.

That night, I decide to ask for help. From what or whom, I don't know. I was raised atheist, but I have believed in fate for a few years now. Maybe the universe has an answer to this whole housing issue.

“Dear universe. I am facing a dilemma and don't know what the right thing is. If it is NOT meant for us to rent the house in Xaló, can I receive a sign? Can you help me by showing me what the next step is?”

A similar theory has worked in my life before, so I let go of the further doubts and go back to sleep.

The next morning, I wake up with a weird feeling. The realtor is secretly already counting on a ‘go’ and is simply waiting for our signature. In a few hours, we will speak to her, and there is still no sign. Could this really be our house for some reason?

I am cuddling with our cat on the bed when my eye suddenly catches the time: 11:11. Around this time, I always send my friend a message. I grab my phone and open WhatsApp.

I can't believe what I'm reading.
This is the sign.

Tears well up in my eyes...

CLIFFHANGERRRR! HAHAHA. MORE ABOUT THIS ADVENTURE TOMORROW!!