Finding "The One"
It's the little things ... and a hair stylist was at the top of my list.
It sounds silly, but finding a hair stylist was one of the most challenging parts of moving to Spain.
Back in Tennessee, I’d had the same hair stylist for many years. She and I got along well, and she knew what I liked. When I felt I needed a change, we could talk through it. It was a comfortable process I could look forward to like clockwork every eight weeks. It is also my one vice—my one nod to vanity as an otherwise low-maintenance woman.
Nearly every woman can relate to the process of finding a new stylist. It can feel like torture—getting a cut and/or color at a new place only to be disappointed with the results after spending a cool $100+. When it’s time to do the touch-up, you start the process again, hoping this time will be “the one.”
It’s a bit like dating, really. You kiss several frogs until you find your prince.
When you finally find “the one,” you hang on for dear life because you don’t want to kiss any more frogs.
It can be easier to find services in English in bigger cities like Madrid or Barcelona, with large communities of immigrants. I’ve even seen ads for places like blood donation centers that advertise that they speak English. But in a smaller city like Valencia with less of an immigrant population, it can sometimes be difficult to communicate your needs, especially for things like hair, makeup, medical services, or basically anything that requires more in-depth conversation. (This is one big reason I’m diligently working to learn Spanish.)
Before we left Tennessee for North Carolina, I had my hair done one last time in May 2024. I knew it would probably need to last until we arrived in Valencia in August because I didn’t want to sift through my options in Raleigh. I had enough to do without adding that to my list.
Fast forward to August, and life is still running at full speed ahead. Before I knew it, we were into November, and Thanksgiving was approaching. The hair was incredibly shaggy and in desperate need of some TLC.
Okay, I said to myself. Where do you find a hair stylist who speaks English well enough that you don’t end up with the hairstyle from hell?
I’m in multiple Facebook groups focused on life in Valencia, and luckily, I’m not the first woman who’s had this exact need. I scoured the groups and read Google reviews. It ultimately came down to two different stylists—one just a few minutes from our apartment and the other in Ruzafa, an area known for its immigrant population. I made an appointment for the one closest to my home and hoped for the best.
Life often has a funny way of working out how it’s supposed to even when you’re sure it won’t.
I’ve been to my new stylist twice now, and I’ve walked out happy both times. He is Italian, speaks excellent English, and is very personable. For those curious about cost, a full set of highlights, cut, wash, and dry is roughly the same cost I paid in the U.S.
Making this leap to a new life abroad is more than just the visa and language. Even the smallest things, like knowing where to get a great haircut, make life much smoother. It’s one step closer to being home.