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Visit to Buen Retiro Park and Mercado San Miguel

Here is a video of our recent visit to Retiro Park and the San Miguel Market in Madrid. We decided to venture out a bit more on this Saturday afternoon.

The weather was wonderful, and everything was free! Let me correct that. Everything was free except for the the four macarons we purchased from the market. 😉

 

http://https://youtu.be/vozOo9IwnDk

What Have I Done???

Things are fine now, but they weren’t so fabulous the first day and evening in Madrid. It is amazing how a few hours of decent sleep, a full stomach, and chocolate can make a world of difference!

The Flight: The flight wasn’t bad since they had a fairly large selection of movies to watch (I finally saw “Deadpool”), and we actually got two meals. I was able to drink a couple of glasses of red wine for no additional cost since it was an international flight which was also nice.

Sleep: I had this fantasy that I would sleep the entire time, and that just didn’t happen. There is only so far you can stretch out, and even with a comfy travel pillow and blanket, I’ve never been one that can just sleep anywhere. It kind of sucks. Needless to say, I only got about one to two hours of restless sleep. Keep in mind that this was in addition to the mere five or six hours of restless sleep I had gotten the two days prior since we were finishing up the packing and clearing out of our apartment.

Exhaustion: After we arrived at 7:45 a.m. at the airport in Madrid, we had to walk to get to customs. The customs line wasn’t long and we got through with no issues. We then had to go to baggage claim, and after seeing countless bags that weren’t ours, I finally caught a glimpse of our two suitcases. We had gotten a rolling cart to put the luggage on since our bags were packed to the maximum weight allowed. Two 50 pound suitcases, two carry-ons, and two backpacks that we each had on our backs made for a pretty hefty tow. It seems like a lot, but considering this is all we brought with us for nine months, I think we did pretty well!

I decided to exchange about $150 and only got back 109 Euros. Yeah, exchanging it at the airport screwed me, but what can you do? I needed money for the taxi. The taxi ride was only 30 Euros and I asked him to take us to the City Center to a place called City Life Madrid. I had signed up for a welcome kit there, and had read that there was a place to lock up your luggage while waiting to check into your hotel or AirBnb. We were not allowed to check into our room which was about 15 to 20 minutes from the center until 3:00 p.m. I messaged and asked if it were at all possible to get an earlier check in, but they were less than accommodating. 🙁

Holy Crap This Luggage!: We arrived at City Life Madrid, and the taxi driver was very nice and helpful. He went inside first to make sure that we were at the correct place, and didn’t charge any extra. He helped us with our bags, but then we were on our own and had to navigate them in this tiny lift (elevator). I was not accustomed to having to open an additional door to get out, and it kept going up! There was a young lady in there with us and she was not happy. She rolled her eyes and climbed over our bags. At the time I was irritated and slightly embarrassed, but it is pretty funny when you think about it.

Small Miracles: My contact at the school has been a lifesaver so far. She speaks fluent English and Spanish, and she offered to pick us up from the City Life Madrid location. (Oh yeah, no place to store luggage) It wasn’t that beneficial for me. I found out it is geared more towards a 20 something crowd, but if it helps someone out, that is great! I forgot to mention that the day we arrived the weather was apparently on crack because it was raining and hailing throughout the day. I’m used to this in Nashville, but this must not be the norm in Madrid because people seemed shocked.

She took us back to her place and offered to let me take a bath. She then got us some pizza. I offered to pay for it, but she wouldn’t take the money. I felt awful because I almost fell asleep while chatting with her several times. (This is another thing I don’t do.) I can be exhausted, and I won’t doze off. However, this was insane! I guess this is what jet lag is all about.

Airbnb: We finally got to the Airbnb, and Scarlett crashed at around 3:30 p.m. I had to get settled a bit, and then I crashed at around 5 p.m. We both woke up around midnight, and Scarlett started to cry saying that she missed everyone and wanted to go home. This made me sad too, as I was also having extreme doubts about everything. I tried my best to assure her that everything would be okay, and that we will venture out some the following day after getting some rest. She FaceTimed her dad, and we watched Netflix for a couple of hours. We slept another few hours and finally woke up refreshed at 11:00 a.m. There was no coffee in the kitchen, but we showered and got ready.

There is a nice retired couple staying in the Airbnb as well, and they kindly let us walk with them so that they could show us where the nearest Metro station was. Getting the hang of the Metro lines is a little bit overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t take that long to get the general idea. If you have ever taken the subway in New York City, you can figure out the lines in Madrid. They got off at a different stop because they were headed to Starbucks. I went with my gut and got off at the Opera stop. I immediately felt so much better as soon as we exited the station. I found the opera center in Madrid! We walked until we found a chocolateria.

Churreria Los Artesanos 1902 Chocolateria was a lifesaver! They immediately sat us down and we were able to enjoy chocolate con churros, cafe con leche, and toast with bacon and eggs. We have since tried Chocolateria San Gines, and I prefer 1902 Chocolateria. San Gines is more famous and much busier, but I thought the chocolate tasted a bit more watered down than the former.  1902 was simply heavenly!

After that, we walked around for a couple of hours and enjoyed a few sights. We got to meet Puss In Boots, but sadly Antonio Banderas wasn’t present. 😉

 

During our visit to the city center we also looked for any apartments that might be available to rent. The apartment hunt is another story altogether, and will be shared at a later date. This is where I sigh deeply and remember how amazing that stress relieving chocolate made me feel. (deep breaths) I know everything will work out. 🙂

 

 

Holy Cow! We Are Flying to Madrid!

After all of the planning, packing, and stress, the day is finally here! We are flying to Madrid!

Savings: I purchased our airline tickets a couple of months ago, and chose to fly out of Atlanta instead of Nashville since I ended up saving well over $1,000 for both Scarlett and I to fly. The flights from Nashville to Madrid were between $2000 and $2400, and I was able to purchase the flight from Atlanta to Madrid for $400. Including travel insurance, it was about $1000 for the purchase of the tickets for both of us.

I played around with different dates and times leaving from both cities until I found a rate I was happy with. I called American Airlines to ensure that I didn’t get a basic economy with no checked bags by accident, but the agent assured me that it was a normal ticket and added that it was indeed a wonderful rate for an international flight. He said he didn’t remember ever seeing such a good rate before. Yes! Things were starting to fall into place.

Realization: It was such a surreal feeling driving through both the downtown areas of Nashville and Atlanta, and saying goodbye, at least for awhile, to the city skylines that I have come to know for so many years. I grew up in the Atlanta area, and although I have lived in several different states, Nashville has been the city I have called home for a large majority of my life. I wasn’t expecting to feel anything but excitement since I was finally accomplishing a bucket list goal of mine and moving to Europe. I suppose even with the love/hate relationship I have come to have with the Southeast, the pleasant memories I have of friends and family overcome the negative. That twinge of sadness mixed with the realization that I am actually going to miss things about my “home” set in for a few minutes. This feeling was most likely elevated by the fact that I was going on about five hours of sleep within the span of two days. We had just finished packing up our apartment, loading the storage unit, and cleaning/clearing the apartment in order to turn in our keys.

Flight Day: This morning we left my mom’s house at 6 a.m. Eastern time to catch a 10 a.m. flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia. My ex-husband and middle son drove Scarlett and I to the airport in my van. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I am allowing my middle son to use my van while we are gone.)

I receive flight rewards via American Airlines, and I have used this airline ever since I flew to Costa Rica a few years ago. Why not continue to add up the miles, right?  I decided to check out the Admirals Club after our arrival in Philadelphia since we had a six hour layover. I have never utilized this service because I always assumed it was for those who were already members, and that the price was astronomical. I was so wrong.

It is only $59 for a day pass! This is per person, but since Scarlett is under the age of 18, she gets to come in for free. They have complimentary snacks and drinks, including wine. The seating is more comfortable, they provide you with a free wifi password, and it is overall a much better experience. By the time I would have paid for coffee and food in the regular waiting area, the cost would have most likely been around $59 anyway, so I am very happy that we had this option!

We are scheduled to arrive in Madrid in a few hours. I have never been on an overnight flight, so the plan is to sleep if at all possible, in order to (hopefully) trick my body’s schedule into thinking we are magically on Madrid time by the time we arrive tomorrow morning. Hey, one can hope! 🙂

Considering all of the mixed emotions, I can say that I am both exhilarated and nervous about the start of this new adventure for both myself and my daughter!

 

 

Organized Chaos Is Still Chaos! Packing For Our Move to Europe

As exciting as it may sound to just “go for it” and make the move overseas, it is honestly very nerve-wracking as well. I have to be cleared out my apartment next week, and to be honest, I am freaking out just a bit. I am trying to keep my composure as much as possible, but I would be lying if I said it isn’t stressful.

Although we have been packing almost daily, I still know that there is so much we have to accomplish. My daughter and I are doing the packing all by our lonesome for our move overseas. Yep, you heard that correctly.

Give Away: If you are moving overseas, you will need to decide what you want to give away, keep, sell, or store. We have given away at least five bags of clothes and additional items to Goodwill, and we are continuing to go through items that we want to give away. Where did all of this stuff come from? Holy cow!

I have sold a few things, but have opted to give most of it away either to Goodwill or to those who have shown interest. I gave my wine rack to my oldest son, 21, who recently moved in with roommates. I am giving my washer and dryer set and my couch and love seat to my ex-husband since he was in the market for something different anyway.

Storage: I have a storage unit reserved for the items I am keeping. This includes my king sized bed and mattress, TV,  and other items of furniture that would be more difficult to replace. Most of the items I am keeping are DVD’s, photos, frames, paintings, collectibles, and mementos. Again, things that I consider irreplaceable. We all have those items that are important to us, and my photos of the children, theater and opera photos, etc. are mine. I have contacted my insurance company to switch my current renter policy to a storage unit policy. (This was a much better deal with more coverage than the storage company was offering.)

Plastic Containers vs. Cardboard Boxes: I am using both plastic containers and cardboard boxes. For items such as photo prints without frames, I replaced the cardboard box with a plastic container. We also opted to put my daughter’s Monster High dolls into a plastic container, and will cover the doll house with a plastic cover in the storage unit. We chose to keep these items because this is something she collects. She doesn’t really “play” with them, and has kept them in very good condition throughout the years. The plastic containers are pricier, but more durable. However, Uhaul’s cardboard boxes have a ten-year use pending no water damage, etc.

Saving Space: The Magic Bags have been a lifesaver so far, and you can purchase these at Wal-Mart or Target. Not only do they save space, but they are supposed to help keep dust and insects out of items you are storing. Since I am using a storage unit, I figured this would be an ideal option. I plan to use these for packing our luggage as well.

Finishing Up: This week and next week we are going to be finishing everything up. I often have the best intentions to have everything finished by a certain point, but find that when I have a strict timeline to accomplish the packing, I get it done. I have moved several different times, and it has usually consisted of me jumping through hoops to accomplish the impossible the last two weeks. Yes, I am at that point!

I can say that I am “slightly” more ahead of the game this time though. Since I am still working my current job during the day, I have been taking a few hours each evening to accomplish a bit more. If I get even two boxes packed a night, I am ahead of the game!

My best advice for packing would be to just do it. I know that sounds ridiculously simple, but even after reading about “how to organize my move,” and several other organizational articles, I have found that I have to do it my way. I do recommend labeling each box with the contents immediately after taping it up. This serves two purposes: You won’t store breakables underneath heavier items by accident, and you will also have easier access when you are ready to open the boxes again.

No matter how stressed you are regarding a move, just know that things will get done. Just take it one day at a time, and remember to take of yourself in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Got Our Visas! (A Step By Step Guide to the Visa Application Process)

After receiving the news that I was accepted as a language assistant in Madrid, I knew that both my daughter and I would have to apply for visas. Thinking that this would be about as painless as obtaining a United States Passport, I soon realized that this was not the case.

Tip: If you are planning on traveling to Europe, a passport will only suffice for the first 90 days. After that, you will need to obtain a visa. Since we will be in Madrid for at least nine months, we had to go through the entire visa application process.

The Visa Application Process: Since I had to get several documents together for both myself and my daughter, this ended up turning into quite the endeavor. Hopefully this step by step process will help those who have questions about obtaining a dependent visa for their children.

When applying for a visa for Spain, it is important to first find out which particular consulate you will need to visit for the state in which you reside. Since I am in Tennessee, I had to go to Houston, Texas. Yep, you read that correctly. I had to drive 12 hours from Nashville, TN to Houston, TX in order to get my visa. (I checked into flying, but since I had to bring Scarlett with me in order to apply for her dependent visa, it was more cost efficient to drive.) The Spanish Consulate in Houston services the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

I was fairly salty that Chicago is only an eight our drive from me, yet I couldn’t go there to apply for our visa. Oh well, bureaucracy is everywhere I suppose.

Getting the Paperwork In Order: There are several items you will need in order to apply for a visa. Depending on the type of visa you need, these items can vary slightly. The two visas that Scarlett and I applied for were a student and a dependent visa.

Student Visa: First, I had to get a state background check and get it apostille sealed from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office. You will also need to show a valid passport, driver’s license or state ID, two recent, passport sized photos, an acceptance letter from your program, proof that you will be getting paid, proof of medical insurance in Spain, and a medical certificate from your doctor stating that you are free and clear of all contagious and communicable diseases.

Your medical certificate must include the following: The patient has been examined and found free of any contagious or infectious diseases according to the International Health Regulation 2005. Otherwise it will not be accepted. Getting the correct medical certificate was one of the biggest headaches I ran into, which was surprising since I have a clean bill of health. However, when I realized the wording wasn’t exact on the first certificate I received, I got a lot of push back from the doctor to edit the letter. I’m still not certain why she was so weird about it, but to make a long story short, I ended up going to an entirely different doctor and getting my medical records transferred. Luckily, they expedited this process, but what a headache!

Dependent Visa: If you are bringing children with you on your move overseas, you will need to get a dependent visa for them. If you are traveling solo with your child, there are a few extra documents you will need in order to get everything organized. If both parents are going to accompany the child, then it will be a bit easier, but it isn’t unthinkable if you are a single parent household.

Since I’m divorced, I had to get a power of attorney that both my ex-husband and I signed while in front of a notary public. This basically stated the country we will be living in, along with the dates, and any other countries we might be traveling to. It is essentially a “permission slip” from her dad stating that I have permission to take her out of the country. This sounds a little inconvenient, but it is a good thing to have even if you are only traveling out of the country alone with your child for a short period of time.

I also had to apply for a new birth certificate for my daughter since it has to be dated within three months of the visa appointment, and I had to get this apostille sealed. Along with these documents, I also had to get a letter from the insurance company stating that she will be covered while in Spain, and she had to get a medical certificate clearing her of all infectious diseases with the same wording listed above. Along with all of these documents, I also had to get her birth certificate with the apostille seal and the power of attorney translated in Spanish by a certified translator. I used The Spanish Group, and they were fast, courteous, and got me the certified translations I needed.

The Appointment: The Houston Consulate doesn’t accept walk in appointments, so it is imperative that you make an appointment on their website. I had to make two separate appointments for myself and my daughter. The payment for the student visa is $160, and the dependent visa for a child is $140. They don’t accept debit or credit cards, so you will need a money order to process this payment.

Everything seemed to go well until we were called back up to the window and I was informed that my daughter’s proof of medical insurance wasn’t going to be sufficient.  The letter stated that she would be covered “overseas,” but they wanted it to clearly state that she will be covered “in Spain.” Remember that part I mentioned before about bureaucracy? My heart sunk knowing that I wouldn’t be able to complete this trip to Houston again due to financial restraints and timing. Luckily, if you need to amend a document, they give you about 10 days and the option to fax it. After several dead end phone calls to get this corrected, I was finally able to get in touch with someone who was able to get me the correct wording on the proof of insurance letter!

Visa Arrival: If you are not able to physically go back to the Consulate to pick up your visas when they are ready, you will need to bring a pre-paid, self addressed, stamped, priority or express USPS mail flat envelope and take it with you to your appointment. They will use this envelope to mail the visas back to you. They will keep your passport, and attach the visa to the passport.

Leaving our passports in Houston was a little disconcerting, but we didn’t have a choice if we wanted to get our visas. I received an email on Monday from the consulate letting me know that the visas had been approved, and we received them in the mail along with all of our original documentation, on Thursday. Now that we have them in hand, I can breathe a little easier and concentrate on finishing up all of this packing!

 

Nice to Meet You!

Hello: My name is Amie, and it is my hope that my experiences will not only entertain in some fashion, but will also serve to compel those who may feel stuck in some way to realize that it is possible to live life and be happy. My daughter and I will be moving to Madrid, Spain in a few weeks, and it has been a stressful and exciting process, but one that I hope to share with you.

A Little Family Background: I have three children, two that are now legal adults, and one that is always by my side.  My relationship with my daughter, age 12, is synonymous to that of Rory and Lorelai Gilmore of “The Gilmore Girls.” Honestly, that is usually the best similarity I can come up with when it comes to describing our mother/daughter bond.

As many before me have done, I got pregnant at 19, married to my son’s father at 20, got pregnant with his brother three years later, had our baby girl six years after that, had a whole lot happen in between, and got divorced in 2010 after 13 years of marriage.  Whew! Say that ten times! Without going into too much detail in my intro blog, let me just say that it was my choice, and it was something that needed to occur. My ex and I are completely opposite people, with opposite views on virtually everything under the sun. With that being said, our working relationship regarding the legalities and custody arrangement of the children has always been stellar for the most part, and I consider myself very fortunate.

Work and School: I went to college later in life and graduated in 2013 with my Bachelor’s degree in journalism. Thinking that since I free-lanced for a couple of news publications and a foodie magazine in Austin, TX before graduation, plus reporting for the criminal courts in Middle Tenn., I just “knew” I was going to get flooded with job offers. Flash forward to today, and well, here I am, and I am still not reporting for a newspaper on my way to winning a Pulitzer!

After graduating, I worked for the State of Tennessee for almost a year, then took a job working from home as a customer service agent, and within that year and a half got a promotion as an escalations supervisor. I decided to apply to law school as this is something I had been working towards for a while now after having taken the LSAT a couple of years before. I got accepted, and went for a year, but the tuition got the best of me, and student loans weren’t an option this time around. During one of my summer breaks, I took a job at a law office that did eviction law, and that was hands down one of the most awful jobs that I have ever had. I thought that having a job at any law office would be great experience, but I was sadly mistaken. That wasn’t the type of law I wanted to practice at all. I wanted to be a criminal defense attorney, and after leaving that job, I started thinking long and hard about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

Embracing My Free-Spirited Nature: My first instinct as I was looking for another place of employment was to start packing and put our belongings in storage when our lease was up so that we can move to Europe. However, after doing more research I soon found out that you need a visa and can’t just move to Europe without a plan.

The light bulbs began flashing as a more realistic approach to traveling on a budget began to take form in my thought process. How do I obtain an ESL teaching certificate? There are several ways, and I opted to try the online course. I will go into this more later, and explain the pros and cons of both, but so far it has been positive and I was even offered a teaching position in Vietnam but I turned it down. My heart and spirit have been yearning to visit to Europe, but it is much harder to get a job in Europe if you aren’t an EU citizen.

I was, however, able to find out how to apply to become a teaching assistant in Spain. My next few posts will delve into the application process and interview as well as all of the excitement and stress of this process of moving to Madrid.

Stay tuned for our crazy, non-traditional lifestyle!