Menos de 24 horas!

Less than 24 hours now.  I've been doing last minute clerical issues all day, changing addresses, paying last minute bills, trying to collect my mail from the post office (unsuccessful), switching around some cash and getting last minute purchases.

I packed yesterday and was struggling to downsize my wardrobe at all.  It takes up the bulk of my bags, but I worked so hard to build a nice, warm and professional selection in the spring that I just can't justify abandoning a lot of it.

My biggest bag actually has a lot of space but is already dangerously close to the overweight mark.  I'm bringing 4 bags.  2 checked bags, one of which I have to pay a $50 fee for, 1 carry-on and 1 "personal item".  I'm wearing my long, winter wool coat to preserve space.  It'll make a good blanket on the plane, but it's going to be miserable carrying it around, especially as we leave the 100 degree weather in San Antonio, TX.

Remember that I'm flying out over 2 weeks early so that my boyfriend Andres, his mother Sylvana and I may explore before I get down to business and so that I have enough time to find a place to live.

I just received an email from one of the teachers that I will be working with.  Her name is Loli and she told me that my first day would be October 3rd at 9am.

So, goodbye, until soon.  The nerves haven't really hit me yet, but I'll let you know once I'm there.

Diciendo Adios!

One week from today I will be in Spain!!!!!  So this week I have been driving all over Texas to say Goodbye to my family.  I'm halfway done tonight.  It has been a goodbye tour through north and east Texas that has been blessed with a surprisingly mild temperatures of 90˚F and almost 60˚F at night; unbelievably pleasant!  I'll have pictures and more later, but be patient with me, the next couple weeks will be pretty low on down time. :)

Hasta Luego....

Visado!

I just came home from my dentist appointment (where they told me that I need to get all of my wisdom teeth pulled and it would probably be best if that was done prior to my 9 month hiatus) and found a very familiar looking envelope (because you have to send your own pre-addressed envelope) laying oh-so casually on my bed.   It's here!!

My name is not  "Richellelee" Richelle is my first and Lee Anne is my middle. :P  Maybe it was too long.

And let me tell you what, I know it's been quiet on this end, but I've been getting worried!  Last week I got back my Plan B Background Check and it had been denied on account that my prints weren't clear enough.  A word of advice: If you think the guy is doing a bad job, don't just sit there and be quiet about it, make them redo it.  I didn't think they looked very good and I thought about saying something, but I was too shy and I kept my mouth shut.

On a slightly related side note:  I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "If nothing changes, NOTHING CHANGES!"  Amen!  If you don't do something about all the stuff you don't like, it's never going to change!  Ah, hem, I'll just...uh...step off my soap box now.... :)

More news soon....

(A word to the wise: I'll be bringing the paperwork that returned with the Visa Application with me to Spain, I'm pretty sure the same paperwork is required for the Residency Card.  Don't forget yours!)

una pieza más!

So, when that sneaky little apostille reared it's ugly head, I set two things in motion as quickly as possible.  First, I went and requested another background check with the annotation that I would need an apostille for that document.  Then, I sent my first background check to get the apostille, even though technically it doesn't qualify.

Well....Ta-da!

I got my original background check back and it did get the apostille.  Now all I need to do is hope that the consulate will accept it, but I think I'm going to be fine.  But don't worry, I'm not getting over confident, I'm still going to send the other background check in for an apostille as soon as I get it back.  No sense in not keeping Plan B in motion until Plan A is completely successful. I'm not going to lose Spain over paperwork, no siree.

[uh-pos-til]

Apostille.  I will never forget this word.  It has caused me more grief than the entire application process put together.  An apostille is like an international notarization.  In order to get your visa at the Houston Consulate your background check must have an Apostille.  In order to get the Apostille on your background check you must note that you will be needing that on the application for the background check.  Before you send it in.

I only found out about this little notation about two weeks ago.  It is estimated to take 6 weeks for the background check to come back.  Another 2 weeks for the background check to come back from actually receiving the apostille and another 3 weeks for the visa.  That's if there are no delays.  My take off date is September 13th, and I'm suddenly very worried about making it.  Especially because I'm hearing rumors of the apostille taking 4 weeks.

All I can say is:  Always read all of the directions.  No matter how familiar you are with the list of needed documents, read EVERY word. No skimming on things like Visa applications.

Is DMC thread as cheap in Spain as it is here?

I know that it's been a while since I've written and I apologize, but let's not linger over that.  This question is the thought that made me grab my computer with blogging in mind.  You see, I've been pretty wrapped up in my life lately and even though stuff has been going on with Spain, I haven't really made the time to write about it.  I say that I haven't made time because I know that there is always plenty of time, and no time is just an excuse.  (Unless you were at Cracker Barrel Restaurant this beautiful Sunday morning, and in that case, you're quite right, there was NO time for anything!)
So this is what's been going on:  I've been doing a lot of working at the old Crack Bar (I think I'm funny), a lot of hanging out with my amazing boyfriend Andres, and packing, actually.  And floating.  A LOT of floating, cause it's my last summer in San Marcos and if you live in San Marcos, you have to float the San Marcos River!

That's my roommate Aimee.  We have a pact to float at least once every week this summer since we're recent graduates with no obligations this summer except work.

So, why am I packing right now?  Three months before I leave for Spain?  Because this is my summer living schedule:

I move out of my apartment on June 30th.  

I move in with Andres until his lease ends, on August 10th.

Then we both move in with Andres's mom (who is the nicest and most kind hearted woman I have ever met, no lie) until we leave for Spain on September 13th.  That's right ladies and gentlemen, we have bought our tickets.  Andres's mom, Sylvana, is going to be with us in Spain until September 30th.  Andres is going to stay with me until December 6th.  There are a lot of reasons he can't stay the entire time, and as much as I love him, I think I'd like a little just me and Spain time, you know?

So for the last 12 days  for 2 of the last 12 days I have been packing up stuff that I can live without.  It's like a filtering process, I've made huge donations to goodwill (like half my closet) and given my sister boxes of all my textbooks and memorabilia in my room.  My stuff is going to be spread out everywhere but it feels good to know that everything I do early is less I have to do at move out.  Isn't it funny how no matter how much I do, there's still a huge list to do?  

And I'm certainly complicating things.  Can I live without embroidery supplies for a year?  LOL!  Almost certainly!  And if I really wanted to do some rad, this ain't your gramma's embroidery, I'm betting DMC thread is if not as cheap, at least not expensive in Spain.  But my frugal, pack rat side thinks that I should take some thread with me.  Thread.  Well, I'm glad I came and talked to you guys.  I have my brain back and the thread is most definitely staying.  Thanks, and see you next time.  Probably after my likely-to-be-traumatic-trip to the Spanish Consulate to apply for my Visa, hopefully this Friday. 

PS - for those of you who are not much for crafts, DMC thread costs about 33 cents for 8 meters.  Yeah.

¿Coincidencia?

A little while ago I emailed the current auxiliar that is working in Archena right now and  asked a couple of questions and advice.  I didn't hear back for a while, but I wasn't too worried about it. Then, on May 1st, I was checking my email (during class, hehe) and I saw this post on my facebook wall:


"Word has traveled to Archena, Spain that a Texan by the name of Richelle is coming next year...."  -Cassie


It was one of those moments where something so shocking has happened that you (well, I) immediately go completely still.  Then this anticipation starts to build in my stomach and after about a minute or two I can be anything but still.  Of course I'm in the middle of observing a class, I shouldn't have been checking my email. So after about 20 more excruciating minutes, I finally found a way to politely excuse my self and get out!  


The reason for all of the excitement of course, is that I know this person.  I KNOW THIS PERSON!!  The current auxiliar for the school that I'm going to be working at in this tiny town of 16,000 people is a girl that I have hung out with before.  We took a Spanish class together at Texas State, we hung out maybe half a dozen times.  And now, now, I am following in her footsteps, she is leaving Spain and I am going.  Oh how sweet it would be if she were staying, but instead I had an hour on Skype with an old friend.


What are the chances??  That with over 2000 positions and all of Spain to choose from, we ended up going to the exact same school for the exact same program when I didn't even know she was doing this program.  


Oh, the insanity....