We're delighted to introduce you to the Paynes, a wonderful family in our neighborhood whose latest adventure took them far beyond its borders. Imagine packing up your life and moving your family to another country for an entire year. For Josh and Erika, that dream became a reality as they set off for Spain with their three children to embrace a new culture, navigate life abroad, and make the most of every opportunity along the way. We're honored to share the Payne family's story and the meaningful perspectives they brought home from their once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

We are Josh and Erika Payne and we have three children: London (10), Parker (8), and Jack (6). All three of our kids go to Julia Green Elementary. We also have a 2 year old Cavapoo named Ollie who is lovable, rambunctious and a bit naughty!

I (Erika) grew up in Franklin, Tennessee where my parents still live today and Josh grew up in Georgetown, Indiana. We moved to Belle Meade in December 2020 after spending many years in California. I lived in Los Angeles for 15 years, while Josh spent 11 years there after first living in San Francisco to be close to the tech and startup world. Eventually, we were drawn back to Tennessee by the strong sense of community, family life, and shared values that Belle Meade and the Nashville area have to offer. 

It didn't take long for Belle Meade to feel like home. We were drawn to the charm that feels elegant and welcoming and love the mature trees, rolling landscape and the historic homes. It creates a truly special space to raise a family.

Josh is an entrepreneur and startup investor. He is the founder of the ecommerce software company Onward and a General Partner at OpenSky Ventures.

I spent 15 years as the Lead Designer for Sugar Paper, a luxury stationery company based in Los Angeles. Today, I'm a full-time mom to our three children and love sharing about our family's travels online.

London loves gymnastics and tennis. She is incredibly creative and spends much of her time painting, drawing, and playing piano. She is currently learning French and hopes to take a mother-daughter trip to Paris this year.

Parker is an athletic force with a huge personality to match. She plays soccer and basketball and lights up on stage, whether she’s singing, dancing, or acting.

Jack fell in love with fútbol while living in Spain and seems to have been built for speed. He also plays basketball, tennis, and baseball, and enjoys both piano and drums.

What are some of your favorite activities and hobbies?
I love hiking at Percy Warner Park with friends, painting in my free time, planning meaningful travel experiences for our family, and hosting friends and family in the backyard. Some of my favorite moments are spent watching the kids play sports on Saturdays. I also enjoy reading nonfiction, especially autobiographies and books related to psychology and personal growth. My favorite holiday is certainly Christmas.

Josh is an endurance athlete who competes in Ironmans and marathons. Last year, he learned to play piano alongside the kids, which became a meaningful family experience. He also loves coaching Jack’s t-ball team. An avid reader and writer, Josh is always looking for new ways to learn, grow, and challenge himself.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has long been one of our favorite family destinations. We love skiing there in the winter, and in the summer we enjoy the slower pace of rodeos, hiking, and fly fishing. We also love visiting 30A, especially Alys Beach, as well as Megève, France.

Some of our most memorable adventures this past year included visiting Egypt to explore the pyramids and ancient tombs, and traveling to Lapland, Finland, where our children met Santa after taking a sleigh ride pulled by real reindeer.

My husband and I discovered on our very first date in LA that we shared a dream of living in Europe someday. Within the first hour, we were talking about how incredible it would be to raise children overseas for a year or two so they could experience another culture, language, and way of life. I remember thinking, I’ve met someone who dreams the way I do.

That conversation happened in September 2010. Life moved on, we got married, built careers, had three kids, but we never let go of that dream. Fifteen years later, we finally kept the promise we made to each other. Living this year in Spain has felt surreal at times, like we’ve been living inside a dream that once seemed far too ambitious to ever become reality.

I wish I could say it was all nonchalant, but it was actually quite stressful. The Spanish visa process took every bit of nine months, and our visas weren’t approved until just a few days before our flight. We often wondered if it was actually going to happen.

Then came the practical challenge of moving a family of five overseas. How do you pack for an entire year in just five large suitcases? Every item had to earn its place. 

Enrolling our kids in school abroad was also quite a process. Getting in one, yet alone three kids into the school of our choice was going to take a miracle. While two got in after several interviews, there wasn't space for our son at the international school we wanted until 2 weeks before school started. There were so many moments that we needed to just trust that it would all work out. And it all did work out.

The goodbye parties before we left also reminded us how fortunate we are to have such an incredible community waiting for us in Belle Meade. Leaving home gave us an even deeper appreciation for it.

We chose Mallorca after visiting for the prior three summers. We love exploring new places, but Mallorca kept drawing us back. It has beautiful beaches, dramatic mountains, over 150 vineyards, charming villages, and the vibrant city of Palma. It’s hard to find another place with so much variety.

What surprised me most wasn’t the scenery, but it was the pace of life. There’s an unspoken permission to slow down. People seem to buy less, rush less, and compete less. Parents aren’t constantly reaching for their phones to capture every moment. They’re simply present with their children. That made a lasting impression on me.

Mallorca also has a wonderful mix of Spanish and Mallorcan traditions alongside families from all over the world. It gave our children the opportunity to build friendships with kids from many different cultures.

In many ways, Spain and Belle Meade are more alike than people might expect. Both are beautiful communities where people value family, enjoy being outdoors, and take the time to be kind to one another.

The biggest difference is the pace. Spain encourages people, even busy families, to slow down. Meals are longer, schedules are less rushed, and there's a greater emphasis on conversation and connection.

Without question, slowing down together. We traded a calendar full of activities for afternoons at the beach, long dinners, neighborhood walks, pottery classes and spontaneous adventures. The villages are tight-knit and walkable, so the kids became more independent, more curious, and able to roam. They also became more comfortable trying new foods and new activities because all their friends were doing it.

Ironically, one of the biggest changes happened almost by accident—we used our screens far less. With so much life happening outside our front door, we simply didn’t feel the need to be on our devices as much. We became more present with one another, and I think that’s the greatest gift this year has given our family.

Initially, almost everything felt difficult. In many ways, it felt like we’d stepped back 20 years. We couldn’t rely on Amazon, Instacart, Uber Eats, or mobile services. Packages couldn’t even be delivered to our home, so shopping meant visiting local stores in person. We hung our clothes to dry, most homes didn’t have much air conditioning, ice wasn’t a guarantee, and some of our favorite cafés didn’t even offer to-go cups—you simply sat down and enjoyed your coffee.

My husband also worked U.S. hours, so many evenings looked very different than we'd imagined. We learned to navigate narrow village streets, accepting that a few scratches on the car were inevitable and even found ourselves figuring out a completely different healthcare system when Josh became sick for nearly eight weeks.

Looking back, though, those inconveniences became some of the greatest gifts. Without constant convenience, we became more patient and thoughtful. We planned ahead instead of expecting everything instantly. We spent more time in local shops talking with people instead of clicking “Buy Now.” We realized that many of the things we once thought were necessities simply weren’t. Our accountant said our monthly spending was down 80%. We never felt like we didn’t have enough.

It’s impossible to choose just one. Living in Europe gave us proximity to so many amazing destinations.

For me, visiting Lapland, Finland with our children felt like stepping into a real-life storybook Christmas. We did a reindeer sleigh ride, walked Santa Claus village, made gingerbread cookies and went ice skating – all while having only 3 hours of daylight.

Josh would probably choose sailing through the Greek Islands, skiing in the French Alps, or completing a 100-mile cycling race across Mallorca.

My children were taught table etiquette at the school cafeteria. They had to have a fork and knife in hand at all times and even ate French fries with a fork! They also were learning 3 languages in school.  Another surprise was the pace of social gatherings. When friends invited us over for lunch, it was a half day event carrying into the evening.

One moment I’ll never forget was dropping our three children off at their new international school on the very first day. They didn’t know a single person, and if I’m honest, I was probably more nervous than they were. Before walking into their classrooms, each of them turned around to look back at me. We all took a deep breath, smiled, and hoped for the best.

I couldn’t wait to pick them up that afternoon. I arrived 20 minutes early, anxious to hear how the day had gone. Then I saw all three of them walking toward me together with huge smiles, excitedly talking over one another about their new friends and everything they’d experienced. That’s when I realized I had underestimated just how adaptable and resilient children can be. They did it, and in many ways, so did we.

As months passed, I continued watching our family grow in ways we never expected. All the new challenges created more opportunity for growth. 

Of course we miss our family and lifelong friends the most. Beyond that, we have a running list of little things we laugh about: wide parking spaces, fast customer service when you’re in a hurry, Amazon for those random items you suddenly need, and yes, even good Mexican food!

There are a handful of things we hope to bring home with us, but they all come back to being more intentional. We want to protect the slower pace we discovered in Spain—putting our phones down more often, creating space for rest, and being fully present with the people around us.

We also want to invest more deeply in our own community. Some of our favorite memories came from getting to know our neighbors and the owners of the local cafés, bakeries, and markets. Those everyday relationships made everything feel more like home.

We'll also continue prioritizing fresh, local food. Spain reminded us that quality ingredients aren't just better tasting but they're a better way to care for our health.

Most of all, I hope we remember that life doesn’t have to be constantly optimized to be meaningful. Some of our happiest memories came from doing less, not more.