Don't sweat the small stuff they say. But what is small and what is big? It all feels big these days, so I spent the week sweating. Maybe because it was in the 70s and I finally had the energy and momentum to ride. And also because maybe the stuff just wasn't getting done.
And then today I realized it was. And it's not a checklist to battle. Or a list of chores to cross off. It's adjusting. It's a call-back to when I moved to Italy. I forgot how big of an adjustment that was. Culture shock. Uncertain in nearly every situation and encounter. Self-created anxiety. Internally rehearing how to ask for more water or a croissant. I'm not wired to do these things with aplomb. It feels more like a-bomb. Can I rewire my tendencies? Little bits, little steps. It's making a new life. As my HM said it's uncomfortable outside your comfort zone. But growing pains are only uncomfortable until a moment comes when you realize you don't ache and you're taller and can reach the cookies on the high shelf and no one can stop you. I'm reaching for the cookies.
I'm slipping into my routine working nights to align with mountain time back in the States. Spend the day sweating and the nights swearing. And Zooming. It's an exercise in learning to let go knowing some things will inevitably crop up in the wee (whee?) hours after I've signed off, but it's also accepting that delay isn't catastrophic and I'm far less essential than my ego would like me to believe.
Riding is ecstatic. Fitness is non-existent. Stamina is a mirage. Smooth, playful roads. Sane, courteous cars. The occasional castle. Delightfully absurd. I'm still recovering enough strength to string together days of riding. Ride one day. Maybe two. Feel wiped out for a day. Try again. Patience. Acceptance. Is this a small thing? It's certainly not the only thing. That I found a cafe near my apartment with sublime coffee and a charming patio and a server with enthusiastic English who already recognizes me is the buttercream frosting on my sheet cake.
Two successes. Progress. Auto-pay setup for my phone contract. Don't have to think about that. A recurring $10 ticket with Renfe, the train company, for unlimited rides in the Barcelona area through the end of the year. One round trip is $12 so everything after that first one is courtesy of my new hosts. What a generous deal.
What about the big stuff? Making progress. Feeling relieved.
Clementine, my relocation specialist, arranged appointments to start viewing rental apartments. We looked at five options today. For now, my feet are my primary method of transportation so that reduces the potential geography and increases the cost as I want to be within a "reasonable" distance from the train station, shops, etcetera. Because Sitges is a popular tourist destination, most apartments are short-term rentals so they can maximize prices and revenue during the summer season. But Clementine refuses to be deterred and her positive enthusiasm is delightful. Of the five, one is a candidate for me. Two (2) terraces. Minutes from the center but in a calmer zone. Incredible light. We begin negotiations while contemplating any new options next week.
Remember, a lease agreement is one of the key blocks to assembling all the required information for my Foreigner's ID application. And the other?
A bank account.
And I have an appointment for Monday to open one. At a branch minutes from my door.
The blocks coming together. Pieces of a new life taking shape. Let's start learning some Spanish though, shall we?
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