Teruel · Belonging · The City That Changed Everything

I never imagined I would build a life in a small city in rural Spain. Before moving here, I had lived in Los Angeles, New York and Boston, worked in television and photography, and followed the kind of career many people dream about. From the outside, it seemed like I had everything I wanted. Then I arrived in Teruel, and little by little, my idea of what made a good life began to change.

People often ask, "Why Teruel?" It's a fair question. Teruel isn't Madrid, Barcelona, or Seville. It isn't a city that appears on many international travel itineraries, and most people outside Spain have never heard of it. Yet that was part of its charm. Here, I discovered a place where people still greet one another on the street, neighbors know one another's families, and traditions are woven naturally into everyday life.

As I explored the city with my camera, I found myself photographing far more than its beautiful Mudéjar towers or medieval streets. I was drawn to the people, the quiet moments, and the strong sense of community that seemed to exist everywhere I looked.

The more I photographed, the more I realized that Teruel wasn't remarkable because of its monuments alone. It was remarkable because of the people who gave those places life.

Living here taught me to slow down. Success no longer felt measured by the size of a city, a prestigious address, or a busy career. Instead, I found value in festivals where entire families took part, and the feeling of belonging to a community that welcomed me despite arriving from thousands of miles away.

Looking back, I don't feel that I gave up one life for another. I simply discovered a different definition of happiness—one I never knew I was searching for. Every gallery in Lori Needleman's España exists because I chose to stay.



Together, these photographs answer the question I am asked so often. Why does an American woman live in Teruel? Because somewhere along the way, it became home.