Last Lost Week

After I made the decision to move to Spain, I spent a lot of time thinking about what life would be like. I spent much more time thinking about what specifically I had to accomplish to be able to move, but occasionally, when a hurdle was hurdled or a milestone passed, I would think about the actual living. I never thought I'd spend the first week largely in bed, sick, horribly, miserably, stupidly sick. But that's how it went.

The pharmacy was finally open on Wednesday after a long (long) weekend closed for Tuesday's All Saint's Day national holiday. Medicine, sleep, jet lag, sleep, reading (Claire North: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, outstanding), medicine. I finally left my apartment today for more than a quick trip for groceries. Visited a bakery for impulse buying a sandwich (have to get my strength back) and pastries, and a cursory exploration of the neighborhood. Tonight I try for a pizza. Unless, by the time restaurants open at 8, I'm at the end of my strength reserves. And then it's toast and tea for me.

It wasn't a completely lost week though. I bought a new SIM and now have a Spanish number and service. What I get for what I pay here is incredible compared to the absurdity that was my ATT plan. Additionally, I am blessed with an incredible Helpful Mentor (HM) who lives nearby and they have been helping me organize and believe I can accomplish the convoluted list of resettling tasks adventures(!) I'll need to do to settle in here. In Italy, I had an employer who handled most things on my behalf (lucky) and an office full of splendid coworkers eager to fill in the gap as I floundered. Here, I have me (shockingly useless) and my HM. HM introduced me to a lawyer to facilitate my Residency Card/Foreigner's ID/TIE and a relocation specialist to help me find an apartment. 

The lawyer has already secured an appointment with the police (allegedly frustratingly hard to get), visited them in person to confirm the appointment and required forms, initiated the forms, and sent me a very reasonable invoice. She's incredible. She is also helping me with opening a Spanish bank account. This is KEY. It seems the bank account is the essential variable for acquiring my ID, apartment and over the long-term, pizza.

You see, to sign a lease, I need a Spanish bank account. Because I don't have my national ID yet, I have to first open a non-resident's account. With that, I can sign a lease for a permanent address. With THAT, I can switch to a resident's account. And with THOSE, my lawyer can complete the required forms so I can get my ID and stay in the country, use my healthcare, and I'm sure, do many other necessary things. And you think I'd be able to figure ANY of that out myself?

So, next week, I start looking at apartments with my relocation specialist, meet with a banker to open a bank account, and perhaps more importantly, RIDE MY BIKE, start looking for a cafe to be a regular in until I move, eat someone's cooking besides my own, and find a Spanish teacher.