From Court to Community: How Connection Transformed Daniel Warren's Move Abroad.
- Natalie Smith
- 4 hours ago
- 8 min read
At Pivt, we believe that every move, whether across the world or across departments, comes down to connection. In this blog we sat down with Daniel Warren, a software engineer and professional padel player, to talk about how community, communication. and trust shaped his relocation from New York to Madrid.
From finding belonging in a new culture to reflecting how the right "buddy" can change everything, Daniel's story captures what it truly means to grow through transition.
Relocation and Belonging
Q: How did you feel leading up to your move from the States to Madrid?
A: I felt a mix of excitement and nerves, but definitely more excitement than anything else. I really wanted to push myself and take on a real challenge, and this was exactly that. Moving to a new country, diving into a new culture and language—especially since I hadn’t studied Spanish before—and balancing remote work with training professionally for padel was a huge leap. But I was grateful for the opportunity and knew I’d grow a lot from it.
Q: What were some of the biggest adjustments you faced when landing in a new country?
A: The biggest adjustment was definitely the language barrier. I hadn’t studied Spanish before, and after years of Latin, I found myself wishing I’d picked something a little more practical. On top of that, I didn’t know anyone in Madrid before moving, so I was building a social circle completely from scratch. My only connection in Spain was through a WhatsApp group that my NYC padel coach used to introduce me to my new coaches.
Q: How did you find your sense of community?
A: Honestly, through a lot of trial and error. At first, I tried joining expat groups, but since I work U.S. hours remotely, most of their events happened when I was still working. I also tried co-working spaces, which was how I’d built my network back in New York. (Funny enough, that’s actually how I met Lynn—at a holiday party for a NYC-based co-working spot called The Post.) But in Spain, with everyone finishing work earlier and no real late-night co-working culture, that didn’t work out the same way.
Eventually, I found my community in three main ways:
The padel club itself. Even though I was constantly saying “más despacito” (more slowly) to keep up with the fast Spanish speakers, playing and training together every day created a real bond. Going through hard practices and tough matches side by side made it feel like a home away from home.
A fellow padel-playing expat who I was fortuitously connected with through a mutual friend. Gabo, who had been in Madrid for a while, helped connect me with a lot of the community he had built for himself—locals and expats—and that really helped me settle in quickly.
Regularly attending a gym called Pomona Club. It’s a gym/run club/wellness club in an area of Madrid where a lot of Spaniards spoke English. I made it a goal to say hi to someone new each time I went, and over time it became a big part of my community there.
Padel and Teamwork
Q: What makes a great padel partner on the court and how do you build that connection and trust?
A: For me, there are 2 traits that make an ideal padel partner. The first is being a good communicator. Not just being able to say words to one another. But in padel there are two primary types of communication - each of them as important as the other. There’s in-point communication, like calling out where opponents are positioned when your partner’s back is to the net, and there’s between-point communication, like talking about strategy or adjustments. Good partners have mastered both of these types.
The second trait is related to how someone handles mistakes. Everyone’s going to mess up. Being so new to this sport, I make so many mistakes it’s laughable at times. But mistakes often don’t mean it’s over. You have to constantly be ready to bounce back from mistakes, put them behind you, and focus all of your attention on the net shot. To me, the best partners don’t dwell on errors- both their own errors and their partners’ errors. They’re able to put it in the past and reset quickly so the momentum doesn’t shift. Forgiving and moving on fast is key.
Building trust takes time and reps—on and off the court. The strongest teams I’ve been a part of have been built by spending time together outside of matches, understanding how the other person thinks, and going through high-pressure moments together. How you both handle those moments and the outcomes of those moments defines the partnership.
Q: Is there someone that made a difference in your relocation journey, like a “buddy” who helped you find your footing?
A: Yeah—two people come to mind. First, my padel coach Álvaro in New York. Even though he wasn’t with me physically in Spain, he’s the reason I was able to do this in the first place. After telling him I wanted to improve but couldn’t afford to train full-time in NYC, he connected me with his old academy in Madrid, one of (if not the) best academies in the world. Not only did he connect me with them, but he’d call my coaches periodically to check in and see how I was doing and progressing. And he’d call me too to check in with me as well. He even offered to come train with me at the academy when he was going to be back in Madrid for vacation. He didn’t have to do that at all—but he saw something in me (still not exactly sure what) and believed in me, and that belief made all the difference.
Then once I got to Spain, I met Juan, an in-person buddy, who completely changed my experience there. I met him early on at the padel club—he spoke perfect English, so I leaned on him to translate things from coaches and academy players at first. But beyond that, we trained together, ate lunch after practice often, and became close. When I didn’t have housing sorted, he offered me a place to stay. When team dinners were planned, he made sure to add me to the WhatsApp group chat. Having someone like him probably 10x’d my experience—and along with Alvaro, these two guys were the most responsible for a lot of the success I had abroad.
Q: Can you share a moment where teamwork made the difference in a game?
A: Definitely—during my first pro tournament a few weeks ago. When I first started playing doubles with Juan, I was hesitant to speak up because I knew he had way more experience than me; I felt there was little I could add that he hadn’t already seen or noticed. But on a changeover in our first round match, right after our opponents had forced a deciding set, I finally expressed to Juan how I felt his mid-game coaching me was causing more harm than good. Tensions were high, so it definitely came across as stern. I was expecting some sort of retort or defense of his actions, but instead, he just looked at me and said, “Thank you for saying that.” From that moment on, we clicked—we won the third set relatively easily, and even though we lost to the top seeds the next round, we played some of our best padel yet. It taught me that communication, no matter how insignificant or unhelpful you may think it is, can be very valuable to a duo with the same goal of winning. My lack of communication gave him little trust in me, and as soon as I started communicating more effectively and that trust clicked, we played our best padel.
Bridging to Pivt’s Mission
Q: How important do you think connection is when adapting to change – whether that’s a new city, new team, or new environment?
A: It’s everything. When you’re adapting to something new, having someone to talk to, ask questions, or just hang out with makes all the difference.
As a software engineer, I think of it like having Stack Overflow or a good mentor when you’re learning to code. Stack Overflow is a site where developers post problems they’re stuck on, and others offer solutions—over time, the best answers rise to the top. It’s basically the world’s best reference for getting unstuck. Without that kind of support system—or someone like a mentor guiding you—it’s easy to feel lost and want to give up. But with those connections, there’s always a path forward when things get tough.
That’s exactly how it felt moving abroad. Without the connections I made (and those made for me), I would’ve felt isolated and probably would’ve gone home early. Those relationships were what helped me push through the toughest moments.
Q: If you had a “Buddy System” when you first arrived, what kind of difference do you think it would have made?
A: It would’ve made a massive difference. I didn’t meet Juan until a few weeks in, and it took time to build that friendship. Those first weeks were definitely the toughest—and the time I second-guessed my decision the most. I was bouncing between Airbnbs, trying to find housing, and just felt like I couldn’t get my footing.
Having a buddy from day one would’ve changed everything. Someone to show me around, grab coffee with, help navigate housing or random logistics, or just hang out and explore the city with. It would’ve made that early, most pivotal stretch—the period when things felt the hardest for me—much smoother and have a higher likelihood of success.
Reflection and Inspiration
Q: Looking back, how has relocating shaped you professionally and personally?
A: Personally, it gave me perspective on how I want to live. Coming from New York’s grind-culture mentality—where it’s all about working nonstop and never making enough—seeing how balanced and genuinely happy people in Spain were was eye-opening. They make less money but seem to live fuller lives. It helped me realize there’s a wide spectrum of what “success” looks like, and I get to choose where I fall on it.
Professionally, I wanted to test myself. Working at a startup is already intense, but I layered on training full-time at one of the best padel academies in the world, living in a new country, and learning a new language—all at once. I made a ton of mistakes, but I grew from every one of them. It’s made me more comfortable with failure and more confident in my ability to figure things out. That’s been a huge personal unlock.
Q: What’s next for you in your journey?
Next up is my second pro tournament in San Diego at the end of October. I made the quarterfinals in my first one, which was a big step, so I’m hoping to build on that. After that, the plan is to head back to Spain to keep training.
I just want to keep improving, learning, growing—and most importantly, having fun. This whole experience has been incredibly rewarding, and I know there’s still so much more I want to accomplish personally and professionally. While I’m still young, healthy, and able to work remotely, I want to make the most of this opportunity and not look back wishing I’d done more with it.
Daniel's story is a reminder that belonging is built, not found. From the court to the community, his experience shows how connection transforms challenge into growth and strangers into teammates.
At Pivt, we believe that every journey, should start with a sense of belonging.
Learn how Pivt's Buddy System helps employees build connection, confidence, and community from day one.
