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Meeting the Neighbors
I am absolutely convinced that we could not have landed in a better community. We have met the most welcoming group of people. On night ONE of arriving here, we were invited to a potluck the following week for a local holiday. Starting on day two, the boys were being invited to play with the other kids. Now that we have been here almost a week, we have watched Spain play a World Cup match in someone’s…
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Settling in, one errand at a time
One thing I miss right now is simply knowing where to go to find the things I need. I don’t miss Target itself, but I miss knowing what the equivalent is—or whether there even is one. In the U.S., most household basics can be found at Target or Walmart. I don’t need fancy hand towels, but I’d also rather not use the Dollar Tree equivalent. I’m still trying to figure out where that middle ground exists here.…
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Estamos aqui!
What a whirlwind the past week has been! We had a million things to finish at our house in Colorado. My brother made a stop to pick up our grandfather’s dresser and take it to NM, along with a few other things, including a Harry Potter pot my mom made me years ago that I was sad to leave behind. The boys and I flew to VA, where my mom picked us up and took us to…
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On Getting Cold Feet Fingers My body gave me an interesting lesson this week. I was grocery shopping, grabbing some items from the refrigerated section, when eight of my fingers lost circulation. I had a difficult time getting my credit card out to pay. I have a little bit of Raynaud’s (an autoimmune thing) so I’m used to a finger or toe losing circulation when I’m out in the cold for too long, or if the temperature…
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the countdown begins
We are leaving Colorado on June 11th, and the U.S. on June 15th. Sixteen days from now. This last stretch is trying me. Other times we’ve moved, the kids were much younger. They were affected, of course, but this will be their hardest move yet. Chris and I are fielding daily questions and doing our best to share coping techniques, but recently I found myself literally paralyzed on my bedroom floor for a solid thirty minutes. I…
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This Being Human
I don’t know how to say goodbye to my life here. I am frozen while we wait for our visa to be finalized. It feels like we are waiting for the whistle to blow and signal the start of the game. In the meantime, we are busy, busy, busy on the sidelines—gathering documents, translating health records, and deciding whether to bring, keep, or donate more and more items as each new closet is opened. I wake up…
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Exciting update: We have a place to live!
We’ve been searching with the help of a relocation specialist in Sant Cugat (the town we’ll be living in—more on that later). She’s been visiting properties for us and sending walkthrough videos. Through her we’ve learned what’s realistic here in terms of size, air conditioning (not always a given), full-size fridges, parking spots, and all the little details. It’s been especially helpful to have guidance from someone who lives there and also immigrated herself not too long…
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Donating vs. Storing vs. Bringing
Donating I’ve been downsizing during my downtime lately. It started with myself—my closet, shoes, makeup and lotions, and homeschool materials. I’ve lost 60 lbs over the past year slowly and steadily, so I’ve already been donating a lot of clothes. Although, to be honest, what I’ve donated is probably equal to what I’ve replaced with “new to me” finds from thrift stores. But I do think choosing what to bring will be fairly simple: a few pieces…
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I Was Wrong
My own self from six months ago would never have believed this version of me exists. I have a vivid memory of whispering to Chris before falling asleep one night, speaking a quiet truth into the dark comfort of our room: “I can’t learn a new language. I’d never be able to make friends. I don’t want to move to Spain. I don’t want to leave Colorado.” At the time, we were planning a Thanksgiving trip so…
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Sometime between May and July
People have been asking perfectly reasonable questions, such as: When are we planning to move?Somewhere between May and July.Yes, that is a three-month window.No, we have not narrowed it down further. Do I know where we are living?Not quite. Are we selling our house?Uhhh… yes. Most likely. Is the house ready to sell?Absolutely not. Are we selling our cars?Yes, we’ve got to handle that too.Have we started?Nope. Are we bringing a lot with us?Not really.I am committed…
formerly in the city, in the suburbs, by the lake, and by the mountains
