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.