Day 53: We’re Doing OK
“This is such a big change, how are you doing with everything?”
So much research went into this move that it felt like it took forever between idea to arrival. I’m pretty sure I read every single blog post and article related to moving abroad anyone has written in the past decade. I did more math than is comfortable. I made lists and lists of lists. I meditated on my own and discussed things with Bill and close friends. I looked for all the things that could go wrong, or that would make this seem like a bad decision, and examined them closely. I listened when friends with lived experiences told me about the hard moments and challenging situations. I questioned myself on my motivations and expectations. I went into this move ready for struggles and moments of “what have we done?”
I know they are out there, and that they haven’t happened yet.
We are doing ok — better than ok, honestly.
We’re learning the language. It feels like it’s happening at a painfully slow pace BUT we are more and more able to navigate the outside world in Spanish and have even had someone who we met in our first month here compliment us on our progress last weekend. That felt more than ok.
We’re settling into our schedules (though the holidays keep disrupting our flow) and finding ways to enjoy Spain even on days full of work. I finished my work day yesterday, for example, and Bill and I went for a walk along the water. It was an awesome reward to have stumbled across a group of couples salsa dancing on the boardwalk, seemingly spontaneously, and getting to see this beautiful pre-sunset sky?
We’ve made friends. Friends we can hang out with together and some that I can hang out with solo. Friends who are learning Spanish like us or are already fluent. Soon we’ll have friends with kids here, too.
We, all three of us now, are comfortable in our Awesome Flat and it feels more and more like home every day. Having Mitzie here is helping, and she’s even forgiven us for letting Amanda leave (though it took a couple hours).
We have our local haunts and are still finding new places to go. These spaces are so important and feeling that familiarity, even with bus routes, helps everything feel real.
We do miss our friends and family (and look forward to visits) and I’m beyond thankful for zoom and facebook and whatsapp for keeping us connected. I’m still on the lookout for a post office so I can send letters to folks, and I’m still reading the notes people left in my journal (though not as frequently as when we first arrived). I’m still comparing the places we go to places in Evanston/Chicago (and so far nothing comes close to comparing to our beloved Ward Eight).
I know there are bumps in the road ahead, and I’m prepared to face them, but when asked how we’re doing with everything, my honest answer is “We’re doing great!” (which I usually temper to “We’re doing ok!”)
