Beginnings in Santiago

Many people say change is difficult. I would have to agree and disagree, al mismo tiempo. Yes, of course it is hard to leave the comfort of knowing what to expect, how to move about in daily life, and some sort of acquired social capital. But I would also argue that the same routine that provides such comfort slowly eats away at one's  ability to live. No; change is not always easy, but it is necessary to keep us moving forward, to experience what living is really about, and to appreciate what we have.

I suppose you could say that among other reasons, the necessity to change things up is why I decided to take a leave of absence from Seattle and come to Spain for an [unidentified] extended period of time. It was not until July 8th that I received an email, notifying me that my application [number 2,781] has been accepted for the Language and Cultural Assistant Teaching program in Spain. The same email contained the name of the province in which I was 'placed'; Galicia.  All I knew about Galicia was that it is the northwestern most province of Spain, bordering the Atlantic to the north and west, and Portugal to the South.  My first google search provided with me a little more information, including the fact that it rains 300+ days a year in most of the region, that one of its cities is Christchurch, NZ's antipodal city (where I spent a semester in college), and that it boasts itself with great fish and seafood. It was meant to be.

After quite the scramble to get my visa application prepared,I was obligated to go in person to the Consulate General of Spain in San Francisco. This may seem extreme, but nonetheless made a good excuse to go on a four-week trip in California and Hawaii before leaving the country. After that great adventure, I met my passport (with a Spanish visa) back in Seattle for six short days before hopping on a plane headed for Iceland. Yep, had to add another stamp in my passport! On to London for a 20 hour layover and quick visit with Susie Schaffnit, a fellow Beloiter, and before I knew it, I was boarding my first Ryanair flight, headed for Santiago de Compostela. And I did well--managed to get the weight of my one checked bag down to 19.9 Kilos, just under the 20 kilo limit. Nice work, Suz. If the previous three experiences living abroad taught me one thing, it's how to pack a suitcase.

Since I have come to the subject of my previous experience abroad, and opened this blog with comments on change, I should note that this journey has already been much different than my experiences living abroad. This being my fourth time living in another country, it is about time. Below are the top 5 changes that this experience have thus far provided me...

1) I am about to open my first foreign bank account ever. (I know, that sound a little sketchy, which was not the originally intention.) I did not even think about opening a bank account anywhere else, but now, it is necessary. Which brings me to point #2:

2) For the first time, I am not paying, but rather being paid, to live outside the USA. I am pretty pleased with this change.

3) I am no longer the student, but the teacher. This might take a little getting used to, but I am sure that it will not take long for me to enjoy this roll. Today was my first class, and I have to admit that I quite liked being the one to lay down the law, to decide how the class time was to be spent, and to tell people to be quiet if they were not listening to me.

4) This is the first time that I have moved to a country in which English is not the native language, but I have felt comfortable with my ability to navigate within that language from day one. So about change not always being easy...it is not always difficult, either.

5) This is the first time that I will not see my family for almost an entire calendar year. Unless, that is, I am able to talk them into coming to visit...

Well, my friends, more is soon to come. Thanks for caring for me and following my journey in Spain. I hope you will enjoy sharing this experience with me throughout the year!