Going to Spain, the Frequently Asked Questions Post

When people hear that I am going to Spain, they ask many of the same questions. I have pretty pat answers at this point. So if you haven't had the pleasure of hearing me recite these answers for the 20th time, here is the FAQ for Renee Michelle Goes to Spain.

Why Spain? 
Well because I've always wanted to live in Europe, and that is one of the few countries that will give me a visa. Basically many of the Southern European countries have weaker economies, and they offer visas that allow people to come and live there, as long as they bring their hard-earned cash with them.

Why Madrid? 

Because I have visited Madrid twice, and it's a large vibrant city, which also happens to be very welcoming to foreigners. They also have a good tax situation and speak Castilian, which is important to me because I don't want to learn another language.

What will you do when you get to Madrid, if you're not allowed to work? 

Probably for the first year I'll just study verbs. In all seriousness, I know very few retired people who are not swamped with activities. If you are a person interested in the world, interesting things find you.

What are you bringing with you? 

Probably about four suitcases worth of stuff. All the expats that give advice about this kind of thing say that less is more. Your American furniture won't fit in a Spanish apartment, you will prefer to wear Spanish clothes to fit in with the natives, and you can buy almost everything there that you can get in the us. So my yardstick has been to only take things that are sentimental,  like two of the pans from the set we got when we were married, or my vintage sewing pattern collection.

Will you travel a lot? 

I certainly intend to take advantage of the fact that so many European countries are near to me. However, I have been traveling almost non-stop for the last 6 months, and I am looking forward to staying put in one place for a while. So that travel may happen in a couple of years, once I've put down some roots.

Can you speak Spanish (Castilian)? 

Not nearly well enough, honestly. But I'm confident that I will improve when I am fully immersed, because I managed to learn an enormous amount when I was in exchange student living in Germany. Currently I can read children's books and understand children's movies. but I express myself in a fairly rudimentary way.

Will you come back to the US often? 

I'm planning on two visits per year, but I can't make them real long. My visa has the potential for me to become a permanent resident in five years. But to do that, I have to follow the rules, including not working, and demonstrating that I consider Spain my home. And the government has decided that Spain is your home if you are not absent for more than ten months out of five years. So please, come visit me!

Do you know anyone there? 

No, not really. But I hope I will soon. So if you have any friends or relatives who might give me guidance, especially if they live in Madrid, please connect me.

Thinking big thoughts

Wyoming, land of antelope, big spaces, and Stoics. Yup, it´s May again, which means it´s time for Stoic Camp. Like last year, it was held in thd mountains near Centennial, WY.  Since neither the departure location or destination are near a major airport, this time I just accepted at the start that it would take me two full days to get from my home to the camp, and then everything was more manageable. Gosh, this country is big. Of course, if I had been going by covered wagon or foot like a few centuries ago, it would have taken me months, so I won´t complain.

This is what it looks like when Stoics study Stoicism. Picture forty people in a large, echoey room, taking it in turns to read a passage which we discuss. About two-thirds of the people have formal philosophical training, ranging from a few classes to PhDs, and the rest of us have just studied on our own, with books and podcasts and meetups. When the instructor says, "We splurged and bought everyone a copy of the new, annotated complete works of Epictetus," this is the kind of group that "Ooohs" very appreciatively. Even me, I must add. I am planning to keep that book, bringing the grand total of books that I am moving to Spain to one.

This year we did not have a blizzard, but there was still lots of 

snow up in the mountains when we were hiking. 

I was pleased that I remembered some of the things I learned last year, and I can see a few places in my life where I am applying Stoicism more regularly. I left with a renewed sense that this philssophy should be part of my life, and a few new, small goals to implement. 

And if anyone is looking for a little philosophy or religion for their life, I´d like to recommend this book, How to Lead a Good Life. I read it several year ago, treating it like a menu from which I could choose the philosphy that best suited me, and it´s how I chose Stoicism.

If you want to learn more about Stoicism, you can read more at Stoicism Today, some of the podcasts from Philosophy as a Way of Life (co-hosted by the leader of the camp), or just read the Wikipedia page.

All systems go!

 I will soon bid adieu to this side of the Atlantic.

After ten years of saving, four years os developing a plan, and six months of paperwork, it looks like I am really going to Spain! I was notified by the Spanish consulate in Miami that I had been assigned an appointment time.* This entire process had been somewhat opaque, so I wasn´t quite sure it I had been approved, or if I´d need to provide extra documentation and have an interview. I arrived an hour early, walked around the block until the right time, and then presented myself, clutching my color-coded, labeled, translated (but never stapled) documents. After verifying that I did, in fact, have an appointment, my passport was taken and I was sent to the waiting room. Forty-five minutes later, they handed me a passport with the visa glued inside and wished me good luck. And that was it! I had braced myself for an ordeal, having heard stories of other consulates, but all for naught.

So, wheels are turning. I plan to leave for Spain in early July. In the meantime, I need to pack up everything in Gainesville, say goodbye to the friends I´ve made here, and do a few more trips to DC and Ohio. Oh, and research approximately a million things: how to open a bank account, how to register with the police, where to buy second hand furniture, how to ship my things to Madrid... Stay tuned for more adventures in bureaucracy!

*The exact phrasing was, ¨We are awaiting you on Tuesday, May 9." It just tickled me to picture them resting graciously until I was granted an audience with them.

If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium

This title is an old joke from Americans who take those "See all of Europe in Ten Days," guided tours. I'm not quite at that level yet, but I did have to stop and think really hard yesterday about what day it was, and where I was supposed to be tomorrow.

Here's a quick review of my last two weeks.

Me, in a National wildlife preserve just outside of Denver. I am hiking and blissfully unaware that my flight is about to take off in 45 minutes. Somehow, with time zones and automatic Google calendars and user error, I misunderstood when my flight was leaving. But I eventually got home, and it was a very nice hike.

I visited family in Portland and the weather was spectacular. During the summer months, you can really see why people would want to live in the Pacific northwest.

Darwin weighs 85 lb /40 kg and thinks he is a lap dog. He is really relaxed, except when it comes to stuffed animals, as you can see. It was great to get some dog love.
 

While I was in Ohio, I started work on a mid-century sundress. My mother's not unreasonable refrain was, "Why do you always pick such difficult patterns?" It is not yet done, as it turns out I did pick a really complicated project.

Yesterday, on Daytona Beach. I have not lost my love of beaches, which Miami instilled in me.

Tuesday is the appointment at the consulate, and hopefully I have all my eyes dotted and t's crossed. Certainly I have color coded, cross-referenced copies of every document I can think I might need. Cross your fingers for me!