Each morning, as the sun rises over the Mediterranean, Cepee Tabibian strolls the seaside promenade near her home in Málaga, breathing in the salt air and smiling to herself.

The entrepreneur, who grew up in Houston, starts her days this way before settling in at home or a co-working space. Lunch is often by the water.

Weekends might mean wandering Málaga’s historic center, taking a high-speed train to see friends in Madrid or driving along the coast to an Atlantic beach in Cádiz.

Even after a decade in Spain, Tabibian says she can’t quite believe that she gets to live there.

“There are still days where I wake up and I have to pinch myself. Like, ‘This is my life,’” Tabibian tells CNN Travel. “There’s so much less stress and more peace in my life in Spain than there ever was in the US.

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