After unsuccessful IVF and multiple health issues, this U.S. couple found unexpected happiness in Spain

After a number of failed IVF rounds, health issues and the death of their beloved dog, a U.S. couple was in need of a change of scenery. They took a short trip to Andalusia, Spain, but neither could have predicted they'd end up relocating there just months later.

The couple, then based in Oakland, California, had pencilled in a trip to Andalusia, Spain, months before, but were unsure whether to go ahead with it when the health of Luban, who has torsion dystonia, a rare movement disorder, began to deteriorate.

“We were figuring out how to get him healthy again,” Medlen tells CNN Travel, before explaining that Luban was also grieving the loss of a friend and mentor. “So we had this vacation on the books, and we weren’t sure if he could travel.”

According to Medlen, they ultimately decided to “go for it” after Luban, who suffers from insomnia, began sleeping better.

“We thought, maybe we needed a break,” adds Medlen, who was working as an attorney at the time. “That if we could get away from everything, maybe he would start to feel better.”