Additional Coverage:
- We left Texas for a year in Spain. After 3 countries and 3 school systems, we found where we belong. (businessinsider.com)
Victor Trac’s journey from South Carolina to a new life in Portland, Maine, is a story of exploration, family adventure, and thoughtful choices about where to call home.
Growing up in South Carolina with a passion for computers, Victor built and sold PCs in high school before earning degrees in electrical engineering and math. After college, he followed his longtime elementary school friend and now wife, Rebecca, to Europe when she took a teaching job in France. The couple later lived in Germany for three years, traveling across Europe on weekends.
In 2008, they returned to the U.S. and settled in Austin, Texas, as the city’s startup scene began to flourish. Fifteen years later, with two children aged 9 and 12, the family decided to take a gap year abroad, seeking a change from the rapidly growing Austin and a lifestyle more aligned with their long-term goals.
Their destination: Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain’s Basque Country. Although their children attended a dual-language school in Texas and spoke Spanish, the local school in Vitoria-Gasteiz primarily taught in Basque-a language unrelated to Spanish.
Despite initial challenges, the children adapted within months, forging friendships and embracing the new culture. Victor found balance in his days with mountain trail runs, remote work, and family dinners, appreciating the slower, more intentional pace of life.
After the school year, the family traveled through Europe in a camper van, visiting friends and family in Ireland before returning to the U.S. With their Austin home rented out and a desire for a place with four distinct seasons, Victor and Rebecca embarked on what they called a “city shopping tour” along the East Coast. They rented Airbnbs, tested various cities, homeschooled the kids, and worked remotely until Portland, Maine, emerged as the best fit.
Since the move coincided with the middle of the U.S. school year, the family spent the first half of 2025 in Christchurch, New Zealand, where their children enrolled in school under visitor visas. Their time there included a school term, a road trip across New Zealand, tennis, and a three-day cycling trip on the Alps-to-Ocean trail-Victor even carried his laptop on the ride. A three-week stop in Japan followed before finally settling in Portland.
Adjusting back to life in the U.S. brought surprises: the reliance on driving, the higher cost of everyday items, and less walkable neighborhoods contrasted sharply with their experiences abroad. Victor also reflected on the trust and community spirit they encountered overseas, such as renting camera equipment in New Zealand without any formal deposit.
When asked about challenges living abroad, Victor noted there were no major difficulties-just natural hurdles that became part of the adventure. Their children adapted well, and technology helped maintain connections with family and friends despite time zone differences.
Today, with their kids aged 14 and 10, the Trac family is fully settled in Portland, planning to stay at least through their daughter’s high school years. Their journey highlights the possibilities that come with embracing change and thoughtfully choosing where to build a life.