After hoping and dreaming, and by some amazing stroke of luck, my husband and I found out we will be transferring through the military to Rota, Spain this year (2014). We will be there just shy of 2 years, as it stands right now, and despite some apprehension concerning family and my extremely long to-do list, I am thrilled. I had spent 3 weeks traveling Spain in 2004 with my father, but as a 17 year old freshly out of high school, I did not get the most out of my stay. I now know what not to do, what I should most definitely do, and I've had 10 years to build my (until now, hypothetical) trip.
Having studied it for years in a structured environment (from 5th grade up until level 4 Spanish in college), and owning several books on Spain/Spanish, I am not the typical transfer from the states. I'm interested in some topics which are not as common. I know all about the late meals, the typical siestas, tapa bar hopping, etc, but what about going to the hair salon? What about knowing the local traffic situations? I have lived in 3 main parts of the states: Western New York State, Northern Illinois, and currently Southern Virginia (namely Hampton/Norfolk area). In NY or IL I knew that if I searched something on Google maps and it said the trip would take 20 minutes, I could usually count on that, with maybe a 5 minute variable. In Virginia, 20 minutes can easily take an hour. So in my informational searches for houses or apartments, do I search in the town that is 25 minutes away? Or will that mean it's an hour drive each way?
These random facts are things I hope to address with this blog as I move and become settled in my new country. I hope to help others who will be making the move.
Beyond informing about Spain to future transfers/inhabitants, I also will be using this blog as a diary of sorts for my family and friends to share my experiences and adventures. A large part of my life that I'll be taking to Spain with me is my love of crafting and cooking, so there may also be a sprinkle of that in there as well, especially when I find those wonderful Spanish markets I've heard about!
Stay tuned for more of my exploration through travel, crafts and cooking! ¡Hasta luego!
When did this happen. You didn't tell me about it did you? Even though I turn 60 this year I don't think I'm going senile!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I will swing by Rota when I go to Italy after I go to Argentina ha ha. Don't worry about the food you can always eat Crostini Ms. Toast. Love Unka Bill
It was an "underground" knowledge. Since we don't know any details yet as to when we are going, I've kept it quiet (off the social media). I've learned through my life as a military wife that nothing is certain until it happens. With that said, as I sit here filling out paperwork, I want to share my experiences, even if I have to sidestep the details :)
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