After a 6-hour drive to Chicago, and battling Michigan Avenue traffic for quite a while, I have my visa in hand. The pick-up process was incredibly simple, and took about 3 minutes... which was enough time for her to get lost on Lower Wacker Drive. So... that was a fun half-hour of trying to find each other.
As the clock crosses midnight, we'll be getting into the one-month period... crunch time. Not "oh, a little more than a month" or "in September," but "next month" and "in a few weeks." Wow.
It's happening. The visa was one of the HUGE things I had to do to get ready, and now it's done. My only gripe is with the picture... no smile, swollen lip (thanks to me getting beat up on the way home from Red, White and Boom)... awesome. But it has MY name on it, and the correct dates. Nice.
Alright, Spain. I'm coming. Get ready.
8.12.2010
8.08.2010
Packing it All Up
Right now, the countdown sits at 36 days until takeoff from Cincinnati to Philadelphia to Madrid. Can we get things going a little bit? I'm completely ready to take off and get going. Mostly, I really just want to get to Madrid so I can find an apartment. Part of me wishes that I hadn't been so conservative with scheduling my flight... my visa is ready in Chicago, and I'm picking it up on Thursday. That means I could have been out of here much earlier, and in Madrid, looking for apartments.
I have an image of me getting on the plane, sitting next to someone, us both finding out mid-flight (At the dinner break? At the inevitable "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom?") above the Atlantic that we are both language assistants, one of us abandoning the hostel we had planned and running around Madrid together helping each other find a place to live. Not gonna happen... but it's nice to hope.
Instead, I really have no idea what the first few days in Madrid will hold. It will be very tempting to hop on the AVE and go back to Toledo and go to P ícaro or O'Brien's or Circulo del Arte, or Enebro... how could I forget ENEBRO!? Wander around, finally go into the cathedral (how did I never go in while I was there?), and take the last train back without making any progress on the apartment front. No, I need to focus.
I've been packing little by little, slowly taking out a bag of trash a day, or packing up stuff that I won't need for the next year... or probably ever again (like a Rubbermaid container full of sneakers and flip flops that I haven't worn since I lived on Summit three years ago). This week, I plan to pack up my books and DVDs... that's a large chunk of the non-clothing stuff I have to box up. Then it's just time to get brutal and honest with myself--- it's nice to keep tons of magnets... but is it necessary?
I "made" over 50 dollars yesterday by rolling all of my loose change. It will be nice to make that deposit tomorrow... incredibly satisfying. That's FIFTY DOLLARS! That's... 37 Euro (that conversion wasn't as favorable as I thought it would be). This is what the ideal situation would be: have the Euro CRASH in September, so I can get more Euro at first, and then have it skyrocket before my first paycheck, so I'll essentially be earning more. Again, probably not gonna happen.
I have 20 days left in Columbus, and then I'm moving back home for two weeks. Two weeks of packing and unpacking and repacking and "do I really need to take this with me?"... I'm kind of hoping that I can pack once and be satisfied. Not gonna happen.
I have an image of me getting on the plane, sitting next to someone, us both finding out mid-flight (At the dinner break? At the inevitable "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom?") above the Atlantic that we are both language assistants, one of us abandoning the hostel we had planned and running around Madrid together helping each other find a place to live. Not gonna happen... but it's nice to hope.
Instead, I really have no idea what the first few days in Madrid will hold. It will be very tempting to hop on the AVE and go back to Toledo and go to P ícaro or O'Brien's or Circulo del Arte, or Enebro... how could I forget ENEBRO!? Wander around, finally go into the cathedral (how did I never go in while I was there?), and take the last train back without making any progress on the apartment front. No, I need to focus.
I've been packing little by little, slowly taking out a bag of trash a day, or packing up stuff that I won't need for the next year... or probably ever again (like a Rubbermaid container full of sneakers and flip flops that I haven't worn since I lived on Summit three years ago). This week, I plan to pack up my books and DVDs... that's a large chunk of the non-clothing stuff I have to box up. Then it's just time to get brutal and honest with myself--- it's nice to keep tons of magnets... but is it necessary?
I "made" over 50 dollars yesterday by rolling all of my loose change. It will be nice to make that deposit tomorrow... incredibly satisfying. That's FIFTY DOLLARS! That's... 37 Euro (that conversion wasn't as favorable as I thought it would be). This is what the ideal situation would be: have the Euro CRASH in September, so I can get more Euro at first, and then have it skyrocket before my first paycheck, so I'll essentially be earning more. Again, probably not gonna happen.
I have 20 days left in Columbus, and then I'm moving back home for two weeks. Two weeks of packing and unpacking and repacking and "do I really need to take this with me?"... I'm kind of hoping that I can pack once and be satisfied. Not gonna happen.
7.22.2010
Dreams and Inception
It finally happened. I had my first auxiliares dream. For some reason, all of the language assistants and I were at the Spanish Consolate (the fancier version that I had in my head before going to Chicago, not the doctor's waiting room that it actually was), and we had to turn in our visa paperwork. No big deal, right?
So I turn in my stuff, and am notified that my visa has been rejected. REJECTED? Then I find out that there's really nothing I can do, but I can apply in a week, or else I'll be deported. Great. Then I woke up.
I haven't been able to sleep since seeing Inception. Maybe this isn't a causal relationship between the movie and my insomnia, but I like to think that it is. I've been tossing and turning all night. I also leave the TV on, which I feel is something that I should ween myself off of before Spain, because I'm 99.9% sure that I won't have a TV in my room.
It's only been two weeks since my Visa appointment, but it seems like it's been AGES. I just want to get my passport back in my hands and be ready to go.
I've been researching places in Madrid to go (non-touristy places; I've sort of already done that), but I'm mentally preparing myself for at least a month of boredom (I should put my Barnes and Noble gift cards to good use before I go... maybe tackle the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy when I get to Madrid?).
Cat--- thanks for the sidereel.com link. I have a feeling I'll be using it more than an expat should!
7.15.2010
Less than two months?
Alright, so I called up STA Travel today to book my flight... and I'm leaving on September 13! So that means less than two months. Seems like the perfect amount of time (or too short, or too long, depending on my mood). I got a flight out of Cincinnati for about $100 (I had a $300 STA Travel credit), so I'm not exactly breaking the bank by flying over there.
In the next two months, I'm going to have to excavate myself out of my apartment (which I've lived in for three years) and somehow move everything to my parents' house. It's amazing how much CRAP I've accumulated.
It's going to be easy to get rid of stuff. I did a little warmup yesterday by cleaning out both of my e-mail inboxes (osu.edu and gmail.com). I haven't felt any post-partum depression yet, so I guess it won't be a big deal to get rid of a few pairs of jeans or plates that I've held on to for my entire college career.
Only working two or three days a week is kind of a bummer... summer is a little boring with nothing to do. Not many people stayed in Columbus, either, so it's a little slow here. July has been flying by, with 4th of July activities and the trip to Chicago to apply for my Visa. Now, it seems like I've pumped the brakes... and I'm trying to find things to do.
One of my biggest time-wasters has been finding a streaming video site to watch TV shows on while I'm abroad. Since the government shut down ninjavideo.net, I've been trying to find one that will reliably post episodes of [I started to type a list of the shows I watch, but it was too depressing]. As it turns out, I'll be working 12-16 hours a week for the language assistant program, and probably spending 6-8 catching up on TV. It bums me out that Weeds starts on August 16... I'll be able to catch 4 episodes MAX before I leave. And I'll probably miss the season finale of True Blood. I'm a sucker for premium cable.
In the next two months, I'm going to have to excavate myself out of my apartment (which I've lived in for three years) and somehow move everything to my parents' house. It's amazing how much CRAP I've accumulated.
It's going to be easy to get rid of stuff. I did a little warmup yesterday by cleaning out both of my e-mail inboxes (osu.edu and gmail.com). I haven't felt any post-partum depression yet, so I guess it won't be a big deal to get rid of a few pairs of jeans or plates that I've held on to for my entire college career.
Only working two or three days a week is kind of a bummer... summer is a little boring with nothing to do. Not many people stayed in Columbus, either, so it's a little slow here. July has been flying by, with 4th of July activities and the trip to Chicago to apply for my Visa. Now, it seems like I've pumped the brakes... and I'm trying to find things to do.
One of my biggest time-wasters has been finding a streaming video site to watch TV shows on while I'm abroad. Since the government shut down ninjavideo.net, I've been trying to find one that will reliably post episodes of [I started to type a list of the shows I watch, but it was too depressing]. As it turns out, I'll be working 12-16 hours a week for the language assistant program, and probably spending 6-8 catching up on TV. It bums me out that Weeds starts on August 16... I'll be able to catch 4 episodes MAX before I leave. And I'll probably miss the season finale of True Blood. I'm a sucker for premium cable.
7.12.2010
Spain is Calling...
This marks the first entry of a long series of entries dealing with an American living in Spain. Enjoy.
Some time this week, I will eventually book a flight to Madrid so I can move there to teach English. This is usually the part that is followed by a billion questions...
How did you hear about this?
The simple answer? I got an e-mail from the Ohio State Spanish and Portuguese Office. The complicated answer? I had been hearing for years about a program through the Spanish government that paid Americans to teach in their schools, and had always sort of wanted to do it. I applied, and after a LONG application process and waiting period (almost three months of no news), I found out I had been accepted to the program, in MADRID.
Where are you teaching?
In actual, honest-to-goodness DOWNTOWN Madrid at Juana de Castilla, a secondary school about 3 miles away from the city. This means that I'm about 20 minutes away from Parque de Buen Retiro (one of my favorite places in Madrid), Atocha (the train station), and Puerta del Sol (Madrid's geographical and cultural center)... but that's just where I'll work. I can live pretty much anywhere I want in the city.
How long will you be there?
From September 2010 to June 2011, but I can renew for another year.
I applied for a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago this weekend... what a pain! I had to drive to Chicago, find a place to stay, and turn in my papers in person... which took all of 5 minutes. But now, my papers are being processed (or, more likely, they are sitting in a box somewhere until someone decides to take a look at them some time in August).
So now, another waiting game. But this time, I actually have a [tentative] departure date... September 13, 2010. That's the day near when I need to be in Spain where the flights are the cheapest out of Ohio. And then, I will [depending on my Visa] be on my way to Spain to play another fun game... hunting for apartments in a different language!
Until then, I have to pack up the last three years of my life that have accumulated in my apartment, and figure out what one takes when they move (albeit temporarily) to a foreign country (Seasons of 30 Rock? Silverware? All I've heard for sure is floss, apparently it is very expensive in Spain).
I've got work in the morning, so I'm off to floss.
Who am I kidding? That's one of those things I'll take and never use.
Don't tell my dentist.
-Will
Some time this week, I will eventually book a flight to Madrid so I can move there to teach English. This is usually the part that is followed by a billion questions...
How did you hear about this?
The simple answer? I got an e-mail from the Ohio State Spanish and Portuguese Office. The complicated answer? I had been hearing for years about a program through the Spanish government that paid Americans to teach in their schools, and had always sort of wanted to do it. I applied, and after a LONG application process and waiting period (almost three months of no news), I found out I had been accepted to the program, in MADRID.
Where are you teaching?
In actual, honest-to-goodness DOWNTOWN Madrid at Juana de Castilla, a secondary school about 3 miles away from the city. This means that I'm about 20 minutes away from Parque de Buen Retiro (one of my favorite places in Madrid), Atocha (the train station), and Puerta del Sol (Madrid's geographical and cultural center)... but that's just where I'll work. I can live pretty much anywhere I want in the city.
How long will you be there?
From September 2010 to June 2011, but I can renew for another year.
I applied for a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago this weekend... what a pain! I had to drive to Chicago, find a place to stay, and turn in my papers in person... which took all of 5 minutes. But now, my papers are being processed (or, more likely, they are sitting in a box somewhere until someone decides to take a look at them some time in August).
So now, another waiting game. But this time, I actually have a [tentative] departure date... September 13, 2010. That's the day near when I need to be in Spain where the flights are the cheapest out of Ohio. And then, I will [depending on my Visa] be on my way to Spain to play another fun game... hunting for apartments in a different language!
Until then, I have to pack up the last three years of my life that have accumulated in my apartment, and figure out what one takes when they move (albeit temporarily) to a foreign country (Seasons of 30 Rock? Silverware? All I've heard for sure is floss, apparently it is very expensive in Spain).
I've got work in the morning, so I'm off to floss.
Who am I kidding? That's one of those things I'll take and never use.
Don't tell my dentist.
-Will
4.03.2010
3.26.2010
Insomnia Gift Bag
It's snowing in Ohio. It's spring. Not pleased.
I have insomnia like whoa, so I'm gonna WFLN it up.
And not to take too much from the Key of Awesome, but this one is also amazing (or... awesome?).
I have insomnia like whoa, so I'm gonna WFLN it up.
And not to take too much from the Key of Awesome, but this one is also amazing (or... awesome?).
2.27.2010
I'm going to Yale and majoring in "social awareness." Oh wait, they don't have that?
1. "What year was Yale founded?"- Shouldn't that have already been included in the typical Yale information session?
2. There are a lot of students there without their parents. This is incredibly unlikely.
3. The girl in the back needs to show more initiative and sit closer to the speaker. True story. Someone isn't getting into Yale, and she's wearing a red dress.
4. The "audience" is extremely into the music. Don't you always bob your head and smile when your college visit presenter starts singing?
5. Dancing award for 2010 goes to the sweet moves displayed at 2:04.
6. Creepiest singing eyes award also goes to this section of the video.
7. "When someone starts talking in the middle of a song, you know it's serious." -Elvis Costello, "Kidney Now!" (30 Rock)
8. I don't care if you go to Yale, can you call it something else besides a "buttery?" I tried to google this, and the only things that came up were recipes for Buttery Nipples.
9. I keep hearing echoes of "Proud to be an American." Is that just me?
10. "They live with us and eat with us and everything between." --Make your own joke.
I don't want to ruin the rest of the video for you. Just get excited for singing chemistry researchers, and a guy who seems to be lost in an art museum.
2. There are a lot of students there without their parents. This is incredibly unlikely.
3. The girl in the back needs to show more initiative and sit closer to the speaker. True story. Someone isn't getting into Yale, and she's wearing a red dress.
4. The "audience" is extremely into the music. Don't you always bob your head and smile when your college visit presenter starts singing?
5. Dancing award for 2010 goes to the sweet moves displayed at 2:04.
6. Creepiest singing eyes award also goes to this section of the video.
7. "When someone starts talking in the middle of a song, you know it's serious." -Elvis Costello, "Kidney Now!" (30 Rock)
8. I don't care if you go to Yale, can you call it something else besides a "buttery?" I tried to google this, and the only things that came up were recipes for Buttery Nipples.
9. I keep hearing echoes of "Proud to be an American." Is that just me?
10. "They live with us and eat with us and everything between." --Make your own joke.
I don't want to ruin the rest of the video for you. Just get excited for singing chemistry researchers, and a guy who seems to be lost in an art museum.
2.25.2010
STA World Traveler Internship 2010
I'm applying for an internship that takes two college students around the world all summer to blog about/post/share their experiences (aka... the perfect job for me)! Check out my application:
2.15.2010
Meredith Viera... the ULTIMATE Cougar
Seriously. You guys know how much I love cougars. And this is a full-blown COUGAR ATTACK!
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