Victor Trac, a 45-year-old DevOps engineer and entrepreneur, uprooted his family from Austin, Texas for a year-long stay in Spain. What began as a temporary adventure turned into a multi-country journey that ultimately led them to a new permanent home.
The family, which includes his wife Rebecca and their two children, lived in Spain and then New Zealand before returning to the United States. They spent time traveling along the East Coast in search of the right community, eventually choosing Portland, Maine as their new base.
Trac grew up in South Carolina and spent several years in Europe after college with Rebecca, who he has known since elementary school. They lived in France and Germany before returning to the US in 2008 to join Austin's growing startup scene, where they remained for 15 years.
The decision to leave Austin came as the city evolved from an intimate tech hub into a larger, more crowded metro area. The family's search for a slower pace and sense of community led them to Maine, which offered a different quality of life than their previous urban experience.
Trac's story highlights a growing trend of families reevaluating where they live post-pandemic, prioritizing lifestyle and community over career-driven location choices. His journey underscores how remote work enables such geographic freedom.