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Hugh Donagher and Brian Rountree were living in San Antonio, Texas and wanted to settle down in Spain but not quite ready for retirement. Brian had little trouble securing a tech job in Barcelona. Obtaining a work visa is another story. They discovered that since Hugh achieved Irish citizenship through descent, the married couple could live and work anywhere in the EU without difficulty. The couple have fallen in love with Barcelona and could see themselves retiring there. Find out more on Episode 101 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.
Hugh Donagher is a Connecticut Yankee (not to be confused with the baseball team; GO SAWX!), born in Hartford, CT and raised in Windsor Locks, CT, he studied at Albright College in Reading, PA. Thirty years ago he traded the Northeastern winters for the incredible climate of San Diego, CA. Since then, he has also lived in the California Bay Area, San Antonio, Texas, and Seattle, Washington. His varied career pursuits have centered around technology, communications, nonprofit advocacy and community building. His interests include writing, photography, and travel.
About six years ago, Hugh applied for and received Irish citizenship, through descent, and an Irish passport. This is the basis for the couple's legal residency and employment status in the E.U.
Hugh and his husband, Brian Rountree, visited Spain for three weeks in 2013 to celebrate their 20th anniversary. After exploring Barcelona, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Madrid, and Valencia, they returned home with a vague notion that maybe they'd like to retire to Spain someday. That idea simmered on the back burner for a number of years until several pieces fell into place and suddenly transformed the dream of retiring to Spain to a reality of moving there for work, landing them in Barcelona years before retirement. They and their pooch, Hobo, now live in the beautiful and vibrant barrio of Gràcia in central Barcelona. Brian leads an engineering organization for one of Spain's largest and most successful tech startups and Hugh works at BCN Life, a boutique relocation agency specializing in helping folk…
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Brian Rountree is a reformed Southerner (bless his heart!) Born in Florida and raised in Georgia, he joined Hugh's California journey already in progress in the early 90s and together they proceeded to move around the country for his career in software engineering, which has taken him to Yahoo!, Amazon, and HP, among other US companies; in 2020, his career brought him to Barcelona for a business trip. Brian is passionate about food and beverage: he enjoys being creative in the kitchen and behind the bar, and he finds inspiration exploring the local food scene and fine dining establishments at home and while traveling.
Brian and and his husband, Hugh, visited Spain for three weeks in 2013 to celebrate their 20th anniversary. After exploring Barcelona, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Madrid, and Valencia, they returned home with a vague notion that maybe they'd like to retire to Spain someday. That idea simmered on the back burner for a number of years until several pieces fell into place and suddenly transformed the dream of retiring to Spain to a reality of moving there for work, landing them in Barcelona years before retirement. They and their pooch, Hobo, now live in the beautiful and vibrant barrio of Gràcia in central Barcelona. Brian leads an engineering organization for one of Spain's largest and most successful tech startups and Hugh works at BCN Life, a boutique relocation agency specializing in helping folks relocate to Barcelona and he teaches English on the side.
