A couple who traded Essex for Majorca say they have no plans to return after witnessing a remarkable transformation in their family. Jordan and Ray Bath spent their entire lives in England before selling their home and business to relocate their young children, aged six and four, to the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands.
The family have now been living in the popular seaside town of Pollensa for 10 weeks and have been documenting their adventure on YouTube.
Their day-to-day lives are now worlds apart from their former existence in Basildon, Essex — and they spoke exclusively to this reporter about how they have been settling into their new surroundings.
Ray, 37, said: "It has been nearly 11 weeks now and we have not missed anything about the UK. We are flying back to participate in the London Marathon but it is only a five-day trip and after that we don't know when we will be back in the UK again."
Jordan, 32, added: "We are very content, very happy, and it is like, 'Why didn't we do this sooner?' I'm so glad we did the jump when we did. We hope we can give our kids the quality of life that we are striving for."
Jordan had been visiting Majorca since childhood before she began making the trip with Ray after the pair met 14 years ago. The couple fell in love with the island, and explaining why they made the long-awaited move, Ray said: "I would say personally, I have always wrestled with the idea of retiring and then moving into the sunset to the beach. But actually, the biggest struggle for me was, why do I have to wait until I am 65? Why can't we do it now? Why can't we do it while I've got the energy?"
Jordan also revealed that the heartbreaking loss of Ray's father made them both realise just how fleeting life could be, and that the ideal moment might never arrive.
Shedding further light on their decision to relocate so far from home, she added: "We moved here for a better quality of life, it's not a tax benefit, not a way of us earning more money.
"We lived in Essex, which is such a rat race. I cannot emphasise enough how I am still trying to get used to it myself. But it is a slower pace of life, the children are the priority, like our children go into school and the teachers hug them and kiss them good morning."
Agreeing, Ray replied: "Life just feels less heavy, doesn't it?"
Having worked as personal trainers for 15 years, the pair now offer one-to-one coaching through their online Viva Endure business.
One of the greatest challenges of living in Majorca was the "obscene" cost of renting or purchasing property. Nevertheless, Ray noted it also presented an opportunity to attract clients with potentially larger budgets.
While working remotely has afforded them the opportunity to relocate abroad, the couple say their daily lives now look entirely different.
They said they are still adjusting to the change and occasionally experience "pinch ourselves moments", suddenly realising this is not merely a holiday but their actual life on the gloriously sun-drenched island with its breathtaking beaches.
The family are based in the Old Town, where everything is within easy walking distance of their home — including the children's school, their sports clubs and the local supermarket.
They rent a generous four-bedroom townhouse, complete with two balconies and four bathrooms, in Puerto Pollensa.
As for how the children are settling in, Jordan said: "They are absolutely loving it. My mum and dad came out here in Easter and said do they want to come back to the UK and they were like 'no!'"
Offering a glimpse into how much more active their lifestyle has become, Ray added: "In the UK we always struggled to get them out on their bikes. It was just dark, dull, grey and we lived too far to the park and it just wasn't conducive to getting out on their bikes.
"Maybe I am just making excuses, but here, we chucked them both on their bikes and just rode, and within three days we were riding to and from school with them, the four of us, and it was amazing and now we ride our bikes to school every day."
They also noted that children tended to remain younger for longer in Majorca, where active outdoor play was prioritised, rather than staying indoors glued to devices scrolling through TikTok and YouTube.
When asked about the most striking difference to the UK, Ray said: "It is very simple for me. The lifestyle out here forces you to be more present. It forces you to be present and slow down."
On another matter, he revealed their final monthly electricity bill in the UK totalled £272, compared to Majorca where they recently paid just €150 (roughly £131).
Alongside the steep property costs already mentioned, the most evident hurdle has been adapting to an island where two official languages are spoken, Spanish and Catalan.
Jordan and Ray have been attending Spanish lessons twice weekly, while their children are now enrolled in a state school where they can be fully immersed in the language.
Their youngsters are learning to speak the Majorcan dialect of Catalan while simultaneously picking up Spanish from their fellow pupils.
Schools also function differently, as instead of finishing after 3pm, lessons conclude at 1pm, meaning Jordan and Ray have a more limited timeframe to complete their own work.
Offering her perspective, Jordan said: "The biggest challenge for me is making sure our kids, especially our eldest who is six, has settled into school.
"She is such a confident little girl and in the UK she was really confident and the first to put her hands up and friends with everyone so I suppose she has gone from like a big fish in a small pond to the smallest fish in the biggest pond where there is a language barrier.
"I know that this transition will be hard at first and she won't remember it in years to come but it has only been 10 weeks and it has been so much more smoother now. We have been to kids parties, she does tennis, she does football after school and she has got a great little friendship group."
She continued: "It is just getting used to a slightly different routine. The days are just longer, in the UK the kids used to go to bed around 7pm but out there they go to bed at like 8.30pm. It is just because of that culture which is amazing but it is getting used to it."
Jordan explained youngsters come alive during the evening and that it was typical to spot them out on scooters and bikes in the night where they also dance around the square.
She described the town as family orientated and that while the tempo was more relaxed compared to Essex, it was a cosier community brimming with warmth, particularly for young children.
The pair are currently on a three-year visa, which they can subsequently extend for an additional two years before seeking permanent residency after five years.
And when questioned about how long they intend to remain in Spain, Ray concluded: "I can't see any reason why I personally would want to return to the UK — and Jordan is shaking her head so she is the same.
"So how long term is it? Forever."
