This is my first blog in..well..forever. I am in the beginning of planning my move to Europe. I chose Spain as my destination. I was really thinking about Paris, but the language is so hard for me to learn, and I really did not like the food in my travels there. Paris would probably be best because I have an amazing Parisienne friend there, who would gladly take great care of me, but I don't want to feel dependent upon someone, especially when I don't speak nor understand the language - disadvantage. With Spain, I felt more at home, like I felt like I was in Jersey or NY. There is a language barrier, but I can manage the barrier better in Spain.
So today after a gazillion mishaps, I finally decided to sit down and write about all of the day to day things I am doing to ensure that this move is done with as much ease as possible.
I am really nervous. I will be thousands of miles away from home; and living in any place is not the same as vacationing. I will not be in a hotel; no itinerary; no guides or guides tours; no going home because time is up and reality steps back in; on my own. There will be no familiar friends or faces; no family; no job; nothing that says home; just me; on my own. I am trying to think of all the things I can and cannot live without. Can I live without seeing my friends and family? Yes. there is SKYPE, texting, Facebook, Twitter - there are a number of ways to communicate. Can I live with being alone in a city with no familiars?? IDK.
For the last month, I have been reading blogs, checking the website of the Dept. of State to see if I am going about this move in a proper manner. I have mental checklists and written checklists that I have compiling and running through over and over. I know the move is not until next year, but I am literally leaving everything behind, going to a new city, with no one and nothing there that is known to me. I keep telling myself that it is ok and that it is only for the summer - live it up and love it because you never know. I am not hesitant about going, I am nervous about once I get there. I am not nervous about the people; not the atmosphere, not being alone, more on the lines of not having enough of what I need - i.e. money, a place to stay. Trying to anticipate everything, prior to going is exhausting. I don't know what to expect so hypothetical planning is so nerve-racking.
Anticipating my accommodations is at the top of my list. I believe securing a place to live is going to be the hardest thing to accomplish. I cannot solely base my future accommodations by what I see and information I gather from online sites. I learned a very good lesson on that after the fiasco in Paris..YIKES! That was the pits and I never want to do that again. I do know that I want to live in Barcelona, but I have not decided on an area in Barcelona. I don't really want to live with expats - those who left their native countries to try out living somewhere else for a stint- because I don't want to use that as a fall back as to not learning where I will be living; yet, at the same time, at least there will be others whom I can connect with and relate to - who will understand my transition. I need to figure out how the rent is paid, whether it is once a month, bi-weekly or weekly. I hope to have enough to pay for two months in advance, 8-10 weeks, so that way my shelter is well secured and I can manage my money from that point. I am thinking of staying in a hotel for a couple of days first, just to better ease into my Spain immersion; from there to my new place to be called home for 10 weeks; once settled send for my things. I believe I can have that set-up in advance. Crossing fingers that my accommodations are cool and up to par. I am keeping in mind that I do not need all that I have here, just simple and meager living is necessary. A studio with a balcony - it will be summer and hot and AC is not widely used and is expensive in Europe- a nice bathroom and a kitchenette is all I really need. I do not want to a room in someones home, NO THANK YOU. I don't have time for to be on an episode of Find Our Missing or Disappeared. I have been looking and I saw some nice places online, and again, I am not truly going to trust that.
Finding work: I hope will not be too much of a problem. I plan to do TESOL. I can't count solely on that. I do plan to work for my current employer remotely, but I am not sure how that will work out. I think I can pay someone to pick up the mail and have it delivered to him on a Fri. or Mon., which is pretty much how it is done now, except I will not be there to assemble the package. If I can do that then I will not have too much to worry about when it comes to money. I mean, it will not be a lot, but at least there is an income. I don't want to immediately use the money that I have been saving. Having the income from home will suffice until I can secure a work permit. Also, if I do not take off most of the beginning of the year, I can use my PTO for part of the stay and then regular work days for the rest. Remoting the office will definitely be a sure-fire way to pulling off this stay abroad. In order to work in Spain, for a native business, I will need a work permit. I hope to secure that before I leave. The pay from my current employer again will give me my income, but I will need something to fall back on. My thing is as long as whatever income covers my rent and food, I will definitely manage everything else - I always do.
Communication: I hope the Wi-Fi is vast because in Paris is was so scarce, sporadic, and limited. Wi-Fi will be highly necessary for me. It will keep me connected to my fam and friends. They will need to know that I am fine and I will need them to know that I am fine. I will definitely make sure that my phone plan is reflective of where I will be, so I will be implementing the international plan and possibly adding an internet card just in case I don't have access to free Wi-Fi.
Safety: I have in my Amazon cart pepper spray, brass knuckles, doorknob locks, window bars, baracade doorstops with built in alarms. I already have a taser, but I am upgrading it for something a little more discreet. I am not expecting the worst; all cities have its cons; being prepared is key. I will be a single, black, female, living alone in Spain, on a limited budget - that answers that. I have checked with my health provider to see if services are accepted globally or if it is just limited to the US. Luckily, It is global as well. I work really well with my doctor's so I will make sure I have the medications I will need during my time in Spain.
So far, I think I am covering all of the bases. I am going to continue to read current blogs of those who made the move and are transitioning, and research as much as I can in order to have the smoothest move possible.
In the meantime, I will try to post as much as possible on my experiences leading up to the move.
TTFN,
NiK
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