3 Months In

It's all in bloom

In truth, I’ve only been an “official” expat for 3 months, since receiving the governmental pat on the head from the Spanish Embassy at the end of January.  I don’t consider my one month in a sunny Mexican limbo as valid. 3 months means I’ve officially passed the length of any vacation of which I have been removed from the arms of the US.

The occasional flashes of fear and angst I experienced in the beginning, have subsided and I’ve all but embraced my immigrant status. My new Spanish life. That sounds like a title of a book.  I am surprised at what I miss and the many things I absolutely don’t miss. Surely these feelings will ebb and flow as time passes. Family looms large as the first thing I should miss the most, but no so much. Bad Wicked Step Mother! They are grown. The boy has a family of his own. Visits to he and his family were at best, bi-annual. The girl was closer in distance, on her own and seen more often, due to proximity. Now, she too is on her own adventures thru the world.

World class Jazz

My biggest miss are friends. Never being one with a large social life, a dance card full, the few individuals which I called closest are missed intensely. That’s hard. Due to the language barrier, I find myself in a place where it will probably take time, before new friends are made. Now, I have adventures to keep me company and of course my spirit animal, The Monkey Man (apologies to Prima for stealing her pet name.) The tenuous thread of FB and Insta keeps me in a social loop.

The silly things I miss, sneaking up on me in unexpected ways.  Consider dill pickles. There are loads of pepinos (cucumbers) in Spain and loads of pickled vegetables on the shelves, yet no one here makes pickles. Just bad imported imitations from Britain are available. They are sweet, for Gods sake - an abomination to my southern sensibilities.

Incredible beaches and sunsets

Real tacos please and any spicy food. There is a large community of Central and South Americans here. Where are the immigrant restaurants? Surrounded by what some consider the best cuisine in the world, I find it the bulk of it bland and uninspired. Don’t tell the neighbors! Is not Donostia an international culinary scene? Is this not the land of taste experimentation? Does everything have to have a sardine on it? Anthony Bourdain lied. Enough with food.
 

Thrift stores. I cannot stomach to buy retail. Second hand stores are a new idea here, brought about due to climate change and the need to recycle. This is also the land of low wages and having new for new’s sake in your home (glasses/towels/sheets etc)., and always matching does not exist except in a tiny social circle of which I am not a part. No one disposes of anything.

World class views

Hello? A real farmers/weekend market, por favor. I know, I know, I just need to find one. It’s not going to be here in the city. I see more train rides in my future and early morning Saturday get aways.

The things I adore? Walking everywhere. Everything I need in a 3-block radius. Medical care! Multiple libraries and cultural centers. Free music and dance on the weekends. Public transport. Cool weather and seasons. Flowers and flowering trees, planted in abundance. A green city. No guns, nice cops. Bike lanes everywhere. A visible social safety net. Families everywhere, all the time. Marches and protests. Drop-dead gorgeous beaches. Locally sourced, fresh Vegi’s, which stay fresh in the fridge for weeks at a time. Yellow Chicken, (the meat not the feathers) because they are feed solely on acorns. Cheap and delicious wine that is appropriate to drink any time of the day. A culture of Siesta and Sundays stores are  closed. A plethora of Holidays, of which I do not have a handle on.

Windy days on top of the world

Open Letter to Our Friends

More green screen madness

Spain has been a whirlwind thus far, but I feel the need to write and check in because we miss our friends!

We spent 2 frantic weeks looking for our new digs. Finally, we lucked out and found a fabulous rental/real estate agent. Carmen speaks little or no English but has a great desire to learn. We were up for Spanglish conversations, so it really worked out for all of us.

Apartments can be really small here and we were really having a hard time trying to accept the spaces we viewed.  Also, we really wanted something furnished.  Carmen found a perfect place. It had every item ticked off on my wish list. Wood floors, central location, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a covered patios (for hanging out clothes – there are no dryers here) and a large terrace. All the rooms have built in wooden armoires. The beach is 3 blocks away. In fact, everything is 3 blocks away. The space is larger than our house in Vero.  It is rented European style – there is furniture but no linens, appliances, etc. I have impromptu Spanish lessons daily, as I accessorize the house.

Jonquils in bloom

Immediately upon arrival, Harvey’s blood pressure spiked so we got to meet Brian, The American Doctor. Haha. That is exactly how he advertises. We have a lot in common, as he is from California, near SF. Brian must be smart, because he was able to get certified in Spain to practice medicine. We were able to get H’s BP back to normal range and we made a friend in the process.

So far all of the legal immigration issues, we have breezed thru. H has done an incredible job in keeping up with all the stupid paperwork, etc. We were fingerprinted this week and that should be it for the year. The officials have been incredibly gracious to the old, grey haired, English-speaking couple.

We have also become bus riders – largely because it’s a great way to see the city and way cheaper than the tourist bus.

Sailing school

You have seen on my social media the amount of fun the city has planned. I am planning my disftarz (costume) for next year’s Carnival already.

We have Spanish lessons with Ana, twice a week. She has been great to answer questions and tell us about happenings in town. Ana also told us how to find the thrift shops around town.

My niece was out first visitor. She is the international head of Relay for Life and was in Lisbon for a conference. Very interesting, as there were teams from all over the world. The Zimbabwe team had had all their donations stolen by the government this year. Definitely problems in fund raising she didn’t expect.

Donostia is everything we wanted (except for the snow last week) and we are picking up a little Basque to try and fit in. When asking our banker about ATM fees, she stated, “If you go to Spain, you should not be charged.” She is Basque and doesn’t accept that this area is part of Spain. HAHAHAHA.

Cathedral Parte Viejo