Marleen(52)

After my divorce I lived with my daughters Lieke (16) and Sophie (14) in a rental flat in Groningen-Zuid. Alimony was meager, my yoga classes in a rented hall barely covered expenses, and the Groningen winters did my chronic rheumatism no good. When a fellow yoga teacher told me about her studio in Tenerife, I started dreaming.

The Canary Islands have a special tax regime: the IGIC rate is only 7% instead of the 21% IVA on the mainland. As an autónomo I pay considerably less tax here. The tarifa plana applied here too: €80 per month social contributions for the first two years. My gestoría in Santa Cruz de Tenerife handles my modelo 303 and modelo 100 for €60 per month.

We live in Puerto de la Cruz, on the north side of the island. It's greener and quieter than the touristy south. Our apartment — three bedrooms, view of Mount Teide — costs €800 per month. The girls attend the Instituto de Educación Secundaria, a public secondary school. The first months were tough, but the teachers were patient and there's a programa de acogida for foreign students.

I set up my yoga studio in a rented space in the center of Puerto de la Cruz. The rent is €450 per month. I teach four classes a day, six days a week. My clients are a mix of local Spaniards, expats and tourists. The tourists create seasonal peaks — in winter my revenue doubles. On average I now earn €2,800 net per month, more than in Groningen.

The empadronamiento — municipal registration — was essential. Without a padrón you can't enroll children in school and you have no right to the Canaria pass, which gives you discounts on inter-island flights and public transport. The application was simple: bring your rental contract, passport and NIE to the ayuntamiento.

My rheumatism has improved drastically thanks to the constant, mild climate. Tenerife has year-round temperatures between 18 and 28 degrees. The girls are happy, speak fluent Spanish, and Lieke is considering studying medicine at the Universidad de La Laguna. As a single mother this step was terrifying. But it was the bravest and best choice I ever made.