As the day gets closer things keep falling into place one by one... but the one thing on my list I keep procrastinating is packing. I find it's always the worst part of a trip. The hours go by, and all I can do is wish I were already in the car, plane, or whatever I'm taking. This time it's harder though... I'm not just leaving for a little while, I'm leaving for almost a year. Packing for one year - seems too much to grasp, especially since I've never lived somewhere with a "real winter". I've never owned a coat. I've never owned a pair of boots until this year. My grandma had to bring me a few things all the way from Virginia because I couldn't find them in stores around here. Yes I'm a spoiled Southern California girl - I LOVE my hot, sunny days. But I think it'll be nice to live somewhere that it actually gets cold in Winter, what a concept! Hopefully there will be places I can go and visit where it snows, where the leaves change colors, where I can wear a turtleneck, coat, mittens and scarf when I go out for the day. As for now, all I can do is pack what I can, and get the rest there. But the decision comes down to one suitcase or two? I've talked to a few Fulbrighters and a couple are only bringing one and some are bringing one and a duffel bag. But I figured if I'm paying for the extra suitcase, might as well make it worth it! As the picture shows below, I don't think I can fit it in one... this is only part of what I'm bringing. Oh well, it'll all work out! 5 more days until I leave... plenty of time!
Since the news of my acceptance, it seems the preparations have been endless. But as the day gets closer, it gets more and more exciting! It finally seems real. It didn't until I pulled those suitcases out though. It took until this week and the first of many goodbyes to feel like it's actually happening, but in a good way of course! Back in May when I applied for my visa, the whole process was quite a hassle. I am so grateful to my boyfriend, Jeremy, for going up to the LA consulate with me! It all came together in the end, and I was actually one of the first to complete the application and get my visa. Definitely an exciting moment! Each time moments like that happen it feels more and more like reality.
Today I Skyped with a few other girls in the Fulbright program, which was great! We all talked about living together and finding apartments on the site Idealista. It's quite a chore searching for them. I finally figured out the best way to look for flats with multiple rooms, a bit difficult since the site is in all Spanish. Good practice though! So we all chatted about where we want to live and how we're going to meet up since we arrive on different days. We also work at schools all over the Madrid center and its surrounding suburbs (of course mine is one of the furthest away... lucky me). Mainly everyone wants to live in the center for purposes of being able to take classes, participate in language exchanges, be near everyone else and all the restaurants, clubs, etc. But where exactly varies greatly depending on which metro or train stop each person needs to be near. The best place for me would be near Atocha (the main train station), but we'll see how that goes! In one week I'll hopefully have a grasp of where I may be living! And I will have finally met people instead of speaking only through Facebook, email and Skype. Technology is such a wonderful thing, but just not the same as being in person!
So far, I've met with two Fulbrighters in the California area since receiving contact information for the other 30-some people placed at schools in the Madrid area like me. I am looking forward to the many more I'll meet at orientation in exactly just over a week! Until then, many more preparations to be done!
Since the news of my acceptance, it seems the preparations have been endless. But as the day gets closer, it gets more and more exciting! It finally seems real. It didn't until I pulled those suitcases out though. It took until this week and the first of many goodbyes to feel like it's actually happening, but in a good way of course! Back in May when I applied for my visa, the whole process was quite a hassle. I am so grateful to my boyfriend, Jeremy, for going up to the LA consulate with me! It all came together in the end, and I was actually one of the first to complete the application and get my visa. Definitely an exciting moment! Each time moments like that happen it feels more and more like reality.
Today I Skyped with a few other girls in the Fulbright program, which was great! We all talked about living together and finding apartments on the site Idealista. It's quite a chore searching for them. I finally figured out the best way to look for flats with multiple rooms, a bit difficult since the site is in all Spanish. Good practice though! So we all chatted about where we want to live and how we're going to meet up since we arrive on different days. We also work at schools all over the Madrid center and its surrounding suburbs (of course mine is one of the furthest away... lucky me). Mainly everyone wants to live in the center for purposes of being able to take classes, participate in language exchanges, be near everyone else and all the restaurants, clubs, etc. But where exactly varies greatly depending on which metro or train stop each person needs to be near. The best place for me would be near Atocha (the main train station), but we'll see how that goes! In one week I'll hopefully have a grasp of where I may be living! And I will have finally met people instead of speaking only through Facebook, email and Skype. Technology is such a wonderful thing, but just not the same as being in person!
So far, I've met with two Fulbrighters in the California area since receiving contact information for the other 30-some people placed at schools in the Madrid area like me. I am looking forward to the many more I'll meet at orientation in exactly just over a week! Until then, many more preparations to be done!
