Sarah Gemba - Founder of Spain Savvy

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Currently: Sevilla (Seville), Spain

​Sarah initially studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain back in college. She fell in love with the city and the country that she is raising a family of three children alongside her Spanish husband. Sarah is also the founder of Spain Savvy, a travel design firm. 

Watch Sarah Speaking to Young American Expat! 

A Young American Expat inspiration video and a two-part video series with Sarah's Spain Savvy:
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First video - Sarah reflects about her life in Spain and how her initial study abroad experience in Sevilla truly impacted her via her video for Young American Expat's "Inspiration."

Second video - a part 1/2, Sarah talks about her business Savvy Spain and how she is bridging the cultural gap between the U.S. and Spain through tourism. 

​Third video - a part 2/2, Sarah takes us to "desayuno" (Spanish word for breakfast) in southern Spain! 

All videos were in collaboration between Young American Expat and Spain Savvy - August 2017

Visit Spain Savvy

Q+A WITH SARAH:

WHERE ARE YOU FROM IN THE USA?     
​I was born and raised in a small town outside of Boston, Massachusetts  

WHERE YOU CURRENTLY ARE BASED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?                       
I live in Sevilla, Spain, where I am raising a family of three children with my Spanish husband and running a boutique travel design firm called Spain Savvy, drawing on my extensive experience in the travel experience industry and with the main objective of building a bridge between U.S. travellers and the Spanish culture.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU OVERSEAS?             
I studied here in college because I loved the Spanish language and culture and during my first days here as a student, knew Spain would one day be my home.

DID YOU STUDY ABROAD IN THE PAST (OR PRESENT)?
IF SO WHAT PROGRAM AND WHERE?  
I studied at the Center for Cross-Cultural Study (now known as Spanish Studies Abroad) in Sevilla, Spain for two fall semesters - my junior and senior years.

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR FUTURE YOUNG AMERICANS AS A MORE EXPERIENCED EXPAT (TO ENCOURAGE MORE TO GAIN WORK AND EDUCATION EXPERIENCE ABROAD)?
As cliché as it sounds, living abroad for an extended period of time truly changes your life.  You will push yourself outside of your comfort zone, which in the end will only make you a better person.  You will learn that the world is much bigger than the town or city you’re from, and that there’s so much world out there to explore.  You’ll never want to stop travelling.  Working or studying abroad is invaluable work experience as the world becomes smaller and smaller in terms of doing business, and it has been proven that speaking multiple languages has many positive benefits.  If you make the jump with a positive attitude and a desire to learn and grown, I truly believe nothing can go wrong!  Every experience is just that – an experience – and the one of living abroad is extremely special and unique.  Also, know that you will NEVER be fluent in your second language or fully integrated into your adopted country.  Embrace your multiculturalism and respect your birth roots – it’s what makes you special!  Learning a second language is a lifelong lesson.  After almost 15 years I still learn new words and expressions and my listening and comprehension skills are still being sharpened.  It took me a while to realize that I didn’t have to “hide” my American roots as I was trying to integrate into Spanish society.  In the end, it’s who you are and no matter where you live, you can still capture and celebrate that part of your identity.  

FOLLOW SARAH WITH HER BUSINESS AND ALSO ON SOCIAL MEDIA:   www.spainsavvy.com
See Sarah's complete bio here: https://www.spainsavvy.com/#about
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpainSavvy/
Instagram: @spainsavvy_sarah
Twitter: @SpainSavvy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-gemba-71368/

Click for more inspirational stories from established americans abroad