What if the path to a new passport started with a YouTube search?
Paul and Bea didn’t just move to Spain. They built a thriving life in Valencia after leaving behind their successful wedding videography business in the US. Now, they’re showing others how to do the same through their YouTube and Instagram accounts, offering invaluable advice for Filipinos navigating the journey to European residency.
I met Bea a lifetime ago when she was still working at The Picture Company and I for another publishing company for a shoot. Decades later I was introduced to her now husband Paul, as I married into their high school barkada. During one of their holiday visits to Manila, we sat down to talk about their journey from the US to Spain and their fast-growing online presence using a combination of skills they learned from a successful wedding photography business and scaled with AI.
What started as a simple documentation project is now a lifeline for aspiring digital nomads and remote workers from the Philippines.
Who are Paul and Bea?
“Hi, we’re Paul and Bea! We run a YouTube channel called Everything is Boffo, and we now call Valencia, Spain, our home.”
I asked Paul what ‘Boffo’ meant and he said that it’s a classic American slang that translates to “extremely great” which in a way is bittersweet and poetic, knowing what they went through as an immigrant couple. Their story resonates with thousands of Filipinos who wanted to pursue opportunities outside the country despite the country’s weak passport standing.
Their journey is one of grit, guts, and major life pivots. After spending 13 years in the US and building a reputable wedding video business in Southern California, they hit a wall: despite their success, the green card never came. Then came the pandemic. With work on hold and uncertainty looming, they watched a YouTube video on the best places to live. Spain popped up.
“We already knew then that Filipinos only need to live in Spain for two years before they can apply for citizenship. We looked at each other, and that night Bea stayed up till 2 am researching visas. By December 2021, we were on a one-way flight to Valencia—without ever having set foot in Spain or Europe.”
A remote work advantage
As business owners, Paul and Bea had flexibility. Their California-based wedding video company was still operational thanks to partners who handled filming on the ground. Paul managed post-production remotely, while Bea conducted client meetings virtually. It was a solution born from necessity—but it worked.
“If we had regular 9-to-5 jobs, I don’t think this move would’ve happened,” Paul admits. “Companies need to have offices in Spain to transfer employees, and even then, you still need the right visa. But the rise of remote work, especially post-COVID, gave countries like Spain a push to introduce digital nomad visas.”
Why Spain? Why Valencia?
Their decision to leave the U.S. wasn’t just logistical—it was emotional. Their investor visa didn’t lead to permanent residency, and after a surprise visit from the Department of Homeland Security in 2018 to their office, they began to feel unwelcome.
“We wanted to be somewhere we were wanted,” says Bea. Spain, with its shared colonial history with the Philippines and faster citizenship path, stood out. They narrowed it down to a few coastal cities, ultimately choosing Valencia for its mid-size vibe, good public transport, beach access, and proximity to an airport.
Building a life and livelihood abroad
Before Spain, Paul was experimenting with a YouTube channel called Karaoke Hacks, which unexpectedly exploded in popularity. That experience gave him the confidence to start Everything is Boffo. Their goal was twofold: to help others navigate Spanish visas, and to give their friends a single video explaining their move.
“It saved us from repeating the same story 50 times,” Bea laughs.
But this lifestyle isn’t for everyone. The term “digital nomad” often conjures images of perpetual travel, hopping from country to country. Paul and Bea knew early on that wasn’t sustainable for them.
“We wanted roots,” Bea says. “With digital nomad visas now allowing longer stays, even families can consider this lifestyle more seriously. You can settle in, enroll your kids in school, and become part of the community.”
The real cost of reinvention
From Instagram, it may seem like a dream life—but it came with real risks. They arrived in Spain with six suitcases, no jobs lined up, no local contacts, and barely any Spanish.
“It was scary,” says Paul. “But we’ve moved countries before. We knew we could do it. We planned everything together, from bank visits to doctor appointments. We studied Spanish and took our citizenship tests side by side.”
Financially, they made it work by researching the cost of living in Spain. Their rent in Valencia is about $500 cheaper than what they paid in California. Compared to apartments in the Philippines, it’s only €200-300 more. But with public transport, affordable groceries, and universal healthcare, their expenses are lower overall.
Paul told me that he was able to experiment with AI to help grow the page tremendously by several thousand followers per day. Growth was a combination of genuine cusiosity for sharable content and making use of generative AI and stock footage. Cloning Paul’s voice enabled him to generate more videos while still remaining true to his authentic mission of helping Filipinos by answering questions.
Advice for fellow Filipinos
For others dreaming of a similar leap, Paul offers thoughtful, hard-earned advice:
“Today is the youngest you’ll ever be, so don’t be afraid to try. Quitting isn’t always failure—it can be making space for something better. And if you have a partner, make sure you’re walking the same path.”
Bea adds, “Learn to see opportunity from every angle. We tried tourist visas, student visas, investor visas—we kept pushing. But also, wag pilitin ang hindi para sayo. The U.S. wasn’t working out for us, and we were brave enough to let it go.”
From a life in California built on love stories to a fresh start in Spain, Paul and Bea’s story is more than a digital nomad tale. It’s about recognizing when a chapter ends—and having the courage to write a new one.
