After a few years working in carpentry, Felipe decided to follow his eldest brother to the United States, where he spent some time sheepherding and packing meat.  His love for building ultimately led him to teach himself to read blueprints, and before long, Felipe had designed and built homes in Euskadi and in the Sun Valley area of Idaho through his own construction company.

Felipe married Jone Idoyagabeitia, and has helped raise his daughter to be proud of her Basque heritage.  Despite the many changes in the Basque country since his childhood, he still feels comfortable there, and would like to alternate his time between his native land and the new country he has come to respect.