All that for ten minutes?: Visa Appointment

So, after much stress, OCD, and anticipation, I finally went in for my visa appointment on Monday, August 30, 2012. My time slot was slated for 10:45am and I showed up, of course, with over 30 minutes to spare. During this visa process, my organization compulsions knew no bounds. I was the Santa of legal documents. Making lists...checking them twice...or rather a hundred times in most instances. I wanted nothing missing, no stone unturned, no excuse to be denied entrance to this lovely country that I feel so close to that I can practically taste the jamón!

 Now, remember that my appointment was with the dreaded Miami Consulate...(dun dun dunnnn). All of the horror stories and unanswered phone calls/emails prior to this day left me feeling extremely uncertain...scratch that...I was absolutely certain...certain that something was bound to go wrong and screw everything up. However, I must say, regardless of their inability to hold a phone to their ear for a mere second and lend counsel, they were surprisingly adept at efficiency and the entire ordeal took a matter of minutes.

Snuck this photo on the way out lol

I walked in with my handy dandy documents folder where I held each completed and appropriately signed item that they requested in the order that it was listed on their website: (Note: On the Miami Consulate page, under student visa, there is an option to see the requirements for Language Assistants)

http://www.conspainmiami.org/pdf/visado/ASSISTANT.pdf


When you go into the office, they give you a number to wait in line regardless of your appointment time. Now I'm pretty sure that numbers are not physically different in Spanish, so it will never be clear to me exactly how my number '12' that I was given actually meant '32'. There was a definite moment of confusion when the lady repeatedly called my number (32) and I, being the only one in the waiting room (with the number 12) did not immediately move. Is this the sort of thing I should be getting used to? Did I skip a chapter in my Spanish book that said that in Spanish 1's are in fact 3's? *sigh* Oh well...small hiccup in the grand scheme of things...and a sprinkling of humor on an otherwise stressful morning for me.

Once I realized I was being summoned, I jaunted up to the window...yes, window, there is no desk. I handed over each document as requested to the (insert: stunningly beautiful) woman behind the counter,  gaped at her sat for a moment while she reviewed my information, stamped some things, made  additional copies of things (although I had like four of everything), and shuffled some things around.


She walked to the back of the office, came back, flashed a gorgeous smile (I promise to stop gushing now) and handed me back my application, photo firmly attached, with a flimsy receipt on it that proclaimed (in the faintest of blue ink as to be nearly illegible) that my visa would be ready for pick up on August 27, 2012.


So voila!!! That is done and now I am on to the next long wait!!!


How was your visa experience? Any blunders? Were you a crazed organizer before hand?

Hasta pronto!!!
XOXO

One Way Ticket

So... I bought my plane ticket to Madrid.

Yes...yes!!! I know...shouldn't I have waited 'til after my visa appointment to book this? Well, no! Tickets were steadily rising and I couldn't bear to pay an arm and a leg after I've seen dirt cheap flights.

I purchased my ticket through StaTravel (www.statravel.com). I first had to apply for a discount international student card ($25) which also doubles as a prepaid Mastercard (not a bad deal since it gets you tons of travel discounts for a year and the withdrawal fees are cheaper than most American banks when used abroad).

Because I am over the 26 year old age limit for STA and I have been out of college for a while, I purchased my card first (using the name of the school I was placed at) then called their help line and chose the option to speak to a representative for the student card. I explained the program to her and she helped me to book my flight over the phone and added a note on my reservation about the fact that I was traveling on a student visa under a governmental educational grant.


I decided to only do a one-way trip for now and deal with the rest later since I am pretty sure I want to travel around Europe a bit next summer before coming back to the states (or staying on for another year). Best part...my flight is a lovely overnight flight (see: me drugged up on Melatonin and passed out for the whole thing) and it was only $350!!!! SWEET!!!

So the official plan is this: Leave Miami on Sept. 17, quick layover in DC, land in Madrid early on Sept. 18, catch a morning bus to Logroño, check into lodging, crash until a reasonable time to grab some wine and pinchos!!!

As for lodging, that part is still a bit up in the air. A few assistants have been talking about getting a vacation apartment rental and splitting the costs while we all apartment hunt. Unfortunately, Logroño has very limited advertisements for cheap hostels. So, this is a kink that I still need to work out.

Completed Tasks:
- Finding a home for my doggies. (It  is awesome)
- Collecting all needed documents for my visa appointment
- Packing (I had to move anyway!)
- Purchased plane ticket


To-Do List:
- Relocate to Miami until the end of the summer
- Visa appointment at the Miami Consulate
- Find a hostel in Logroño
- Purchase a bus ticket from Madrid to Logroño, then back to Madrid for orientation
-Stress about getting my visa back in time


So yeah...still a few things left to get together...but I'm feeling the excitement again (this was lost temporarily in the teary anguish of giving away my pups and moving out of my house)...bring on España!!!!


Hasta Pronto!!!!!
XOXO

Logroño on the Horizon

So I have officially received my school placement in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain!!! (It was quite entertaining trying to explain the difference between a region, city and pueblo to my mom lol)


I sent the junta an email requesting a school in the capital and, although I have no idea if this played a role or not, I got it!!! I do understand that La Rioja is not overly large and that I could have commuted to just about anywhere from the capital. But I really don't like the idea of being reliant on other people in that way. I have heard of many other assistants joining carpools, but I prefer to just have to depend on my own two feet or a bus pass to get around. I don't really do well with working on other people's schedules...


I will be teaching post-secondary level (I believe) at a school called I.E.S "Comercio" in Logroño. I haven't really gotten too much information about it but I plan to contact the school sometime next week to learn more. However, I did come across this video about the school when I attempted to research it:

Apparently, the school is something like amazing so that's a relief... and a definite change from what I'm used to...


Also, I have roamed the street of my school and its surrounding neighborhood more times that I care to admit...oh, the joys of modern technology!! Google Maps, I salute you.


Here's to hoping that it all lives up to the hype!!!!




Hasta Pronto
XOXO

Finalmente!!!!!!!!

I finally got my placement today (around 12:20pm) after much hyperventilation and anxiety.

I will be spending the next year in...((((((insert: written drum roll for dramatic effect that only plays out accurately in my mind)))))

LA RIOJA!!!!!

YES, YES!! I know that I have been hyping you all up for the past few months about Andalucia. However, due to the many cuts lately, Andalucia was not an option for me (Let's also note the fact that they stop placing people in Andalucia like only 10 ahead of me..oh well...ish happens!). 


Am I sad? Am I disappointed? Am I reconsidering Spain now??? HELLS NO!!!! 


No, I didn't get Sevilla. But I did get wine country. And for this, crappy Spanish government...I Thank you!


In my best Charlie Sheen voice: "Bi-WINNING!!!" lol


So here is a glimpse of what I have to look forward to next year...commence jealousy sequence.......................................NOW:

Start planning your visits!


Hasta Pronto
XOXO

When Even Your Dreams Turn On You

This post is kind of short and silly...

It's just that my dreams always have a way of fanning the flames of any hysteria that I may be experiencing at the time.

Oy vey!!!

So, last night I had this whole crazy dream (surrounded by scenarios that in real life would probably make me clinically insane) but at the end of the dream I am sitting in a room that appears to be a high school library. You know, the two level kind where you can look down on the lower level and hold full conversations with the people down below...

Well there were several people sitting around, some familiar but mostly not, and we were all really anxious. Some people were crying, some holding papers and screaming with joy. There was a girl in a camp counselor outfit calling out names. It took me a minute to realize that with each name, she held up a paper and called out a location. All of them were in Spain.

The next few people that were called looked confused and started to ask, with growing panic: "But where is this? I've never heard of this!"

The counselor's face grew more maniacal by the moment. I started to sweat and immediately began to pray. "Please say Andalucía. Please say Andalucía! Just let me get to Granada or Sevilla....Granada or Seville...Granada or Sevilla!!!!"

She called my name...and then I woke up...

So yeah...its official! My lack of patience may actually drive me insane....I can't take the wait! For anything!!!

Ok...and scene! Back to sanity...lol


Hasta Pronto!!!

Latest Obsession

So I would like to send a resounding screw you! to Rick Steves . Yes, yes. He shows off all these great places in Europe and makes it seem all lovely and fun...but wait! He also gives it to you real! In the episode about Andalusia there were a few places that I can only now describe as "bleh" ((picture this with a screwed up face and a tongue hanging out--got it--exactly!))

This is where my recent paranoia has come from. Now I'm afraid of my placement. In my mind I am one hundred and ten percent committed to going to Spain next fall...but now I'm afraid that I could end up in some God awful tourist trap of a dirty city. Or some beach town that's nothing but a South Beach 2.0. This is not what I want. I'm from Miami. I have DONE South Beach. (insert: Algeciras- another city I could do without)

No thanks...I can stay home for this...

I want cobblestones and art. Little cafes and tapas. Not shitty shitty Americanized or Britain-ized cities that just happen to speak no English.  I want the FULL immersion.

So, I have turned to Annie Sibonney to bring me back to excitement. Her show comes on at 7:30am on Saturdays (that can report straight to hell). But with a little DVRing, I can enjoy it whenever I want. Every week she explores a different culinary aspect of Spain. And then I begin chomping at the bit to get me gone!

Of course, the worry is still there. But hopefully ((with enough chanting my desires to the universe--I may even consider burning some candles or something)) there will be a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a awesome placement letter in May....please pray for me...or chant for me...or send me good juju...whatever you do...do it with my name and Granada...or Sevilla...lol


*fingers crossed*

Hasta Pronto!!!