So in one week from today, I fly to Spain. Hopefully, anyways, since they are calling for snow in the Washington, DC area. I hope my flight doesn’t get delayed.
On a side note, how come cops get to drive 15 to 20 mph above the speed limit when they don’t have their lights on? That happened to me today as I was driving home from Bailey’s. A state trooper flew by me with one headlight out and no lights on. For fun, I let him pass me they kicked it up to 70 and the trooper still disappeared into the night. The speed limit is 60 by the way. So what gives with that?
I will miss driving for five months when I am gone. I understand that driving cars is a much bigger deal here in the US then it is in any European country. It’s because our country is huge and we don’t have baller public transportation like they do. Málaga has bus routes, an underground, bike rental services, bullet trains, and an airport. Richmond, the capital of Virginia, can’t boast any of those things. I mean, we have Amtrak, but you only take that if you want your journey to be at least 6 to 8 hours longer then it would be driving.
I’ve already figured out what buses I will have to take to get to the university. There are two bus stations on the block where I will be living. My roommate is already at the apartment and she says it’s small (I figured, we are paying so little for it. I don’t mind little), but it was lacking in cutlery and basic kitchen necessities. So she went and bought some for us.
Her name is Dominika and she is from Slovakia. She speaks no Spanish, and is taking her classes in English! She said she would meet me at the airport to show me around and stuff. I really appreciate that.
I’m super happy a lot of the other rmc students in Spain have reached out, particularly Manda Binion and Mary Paige David. Snapchat and Facebook messenger have been awesome forms of communication. They both have been great in alleviating some of my fears about studying abroad.
It’s frustrating though. All of a sudden I am being thrown into this world of adult responsibilities for five months-paying rent, utilities, cellphone and wifi bills. Living alone (well, in an apartment), when the only places I’ve lived are in a dorm or my house. I feel pretty unprepared for this whole thing, yet I know when I come back I will be frustrating having to live in a dorm again. Having tasted the apartment, independent life, having to move back into Mary Branch will be annoying to say the least.
Another note which is someone important. My parents are planning on moving when I am in Spain. My dad got a full time job in Charlottesville, VA. This is awesome for our family, but it means my stuff is all going into boxes in a climate controlled storage unit in Roanoke. This also means when I come “home”, the home I have lived in for 9 years or so will no longer be home. I know the place my parents live in Charlottesville will be awesome, but it won’t be home. It’ll just be a house to me.
I really would like to stay in Roanoke next summer if my parents move to Charlottesville. I don’t really want to uproot myself, my jobs, my friends, to live in a new place for three months in a house I won’t be living in full time ever.
Whatever happens, will happen.
Saludos,
Natalie
On a side note, how come cops get to drive 15 to 20 mph above the speed limit when they don’t have their lights on? That happened to me today as I was driving home from Bailey’s. A state trooper flew by me with one headlight out and no lights on. For fun, I let him pass me they kicked it up to 70 and the trooper still disappeared into the night. The speed limit is 60 by the way. So what gives with that?
I will miss driving for five months when I am gone. I understand that driving cars is a much bigger deal here in the US then it is in any European country. It’s because our country is huge and we don’t have baller public transportation like they do. Málaga has bus routes, an underground, bike rental services, bullet trains, and an airport. Richmond, the capital of Virginia, can’t boast any of those things. I mean, we have Amtrak, but you only take that if you want your journey to be at least 6 to 8 hours longer then it would be driving.
I’ve already figured out what buses I will have to take to get to the university. There are two bus stations on the block where I will be living. My roommate is already at the apartment and she says it’s small (I figured, we are paying so little for it. I don’t mind little), but it was lacking in cutlery and basic kitchen necessities. So she went and bought some for us.
Her name is Dominika and she is from Slovakia. She speaks no Spanish, and is taking her classes in English! She said she would meet me at the airport to show me around and stuff. I really appreciate that.
I’m super happy a lot of the other rmc students in Spain have reached out, particularly Manda Binion and Mary Paige David. Snapchat and Facebook messenger have been awesome forms of communication. They both have been great in alleviating some of my fears about studying abroad.
It’s frustrating though. All of a sudden I am being thrown into this world of adult responsibilities for five months-paying rent, utilities, cellphone and wifi bills. Living alone (well, in an apartment), when the only places I’ve lived are in a dorm or my house. I feel pretty unprepared for this whole thing, yet I know when I come back I will be frustrating having to live in a dorm again. Having tasted the apartment, independent life, having to move back into Mary Branch will be annoying to say the least.
Another note which is someone important. My parents are planning on moving when I am in Spain. My dad got a full time job in Charlottesville, VA. This is awesome for our family, but it means my stuff is all going into boxes in a climate controlled storage unit in Roanoke. This also means when I come “home”, the home I have lived in for 9 years or so will no longer be home. I know the place my parents live in Charlottesville will be awesome, but it won’t be home. It’ll just be a house to me.
I really would like to stay in Roanoke next summer if my parents move to Charlottesville. I don’t really want to uproot myself, my jobs, my friends, to live in a new place for three months in a house I won’t be living in full time ever.
Whatever happens, will happen.
Saludos,
Natalie
Also here's a picture of me in a pizza suit. It represents how well I am dealing with the stress of moving to another country.