We demo’ed the kitchen ourselves, which was a bit horrifying, and hired separate plumbers and electricians, but otherwise IKEA did everything and it was much less expensive than I feared – still pricy but not the horror stories you hear about the cost of kitchen renos. Things that we added to the kitchen include much more storage (in the form of drawers, which are so much better than cabinets), a DISHWASHER, which was life changing, full size fridge and freezer, and a microwave! Along with just making it all look much nicer.
It was quite stressful as IKEA didn’t measure correctly initially so the job ended up being much bigger than planned, but luckily because it was their mistake it didn’t cost us anything.
We painted the walls Setting Plaster by Farrow and Ball and did the tiling ourselves. I think the room came together really well; there is still a few more shelves we want to hang and to update the artwork, but we are very into it. Plus it could have come out somehow worse than before and having a dishwasher would make it all worth it to me. I love dishwashers.
Once the kitchen was done, we had two big projects left that we wanted to accomplish pre-baby. The terrible downstairs bathroom, and the nursery of course!
The most exciting news I’ve ever been able to share – we are expecting a baby girl to join our family this summer!
We didn’t have the easiest road (nor the most difficult!) – which I’ll get into in another post, but suffice to say we could not be more relieved to be just over 18 weeks along and finally able to believe it’s real!
We’ve already starting collecting some used baby things, and seeing the little clothes and furniture is really mind boggling.
We’re already counting down the days until we get to meet you, little one!
A little over a month ago, I was racing around LA trying to finish a huge to-do list before the flight that would take me first to Zurich, and then on to Madrid. It is crazy to think it’s been a month, and I’m going to be super cliched and say it feels both much longer, and much shorter than that.
Before I came, I got a serious case of cold feet. I started doubting everything, and felt pretty crazy to leave a life I liked/had put in so much work into building. I tried to have realistic expectations, knowing when I first arrived I’d be homesick, that the language barrier would be a problem. I was prepared for it to take some time for me to feel settled.
But amazingly, it took almost no time at all. After a delayed flight and a road trip from Madrid to Logroño with a VERY tired Kristen behind the wheel, I arrived in Logroño at 1:30AM. I parked my car and dragged my suitcase to my apartment (because cars aren’t actually allowed on my street), and stepped into my new home for the first time.
my street
And guys, it was GOOD. My room was basic but pretty. The apartment was bigger than I was expecting, and my roommates were so nice and just as excited as I was to be here. And the city? It was still lit up and beautiful at 1:30 in the morning, and I instantly felt so sure I had made the right decision coming here–a feeling that has never once wavered.
first time getting pinchos
Gareth came to visit about 5 days after I got here, and we did some pretty cool things. Something so incredible is that we are now in (nearly) the same time zone! That one small detail has changed everything. I can call him when I wake up on my way to work, we can talk at lunch, and before bed. In LA there was a cut off from 2:00pm until maybe 11:00 or midnight where we just couldn’t talk, and that is like half the day! It sucked! Also we are going to see each other basically every two weeks from now until January 8th. What will we even DO with such regularity? Probably get very sick of each other!
My first week here was San Mateo, which is one of the two biggest festivals in La Rioja, the region that Logroño is in. It was really fun, and a great introduction to the city. The highlight was seeing Morat play Cómo Te Atreves. In typical Spanish style they didn’t go on until about 1 am.
There was also a marching band that went by my window hourly for the entire week, which started out as cool and then got dramatically less so as time went on. Now that San Mateo is over, there is a guy who plays gorgeous classical music every night, and it fills the apartment and is SO LOVELY.
I can’t begin to explain how much I love Logroño, and how lucky I feel to have been placed here. Originally, I wanted Madrid so badly I didn’t even tell anyone I had applied to move to Spain, but to Madrid. That was all I could picture. And now, I wouldn’t trade Logroño for anything. It’s small and cheap (my rent is 180 euros a month, for real), it’s not touristy at all, it’s beautiful, it has amazing food/wine, it’s close to all the major northern cities, and the people are so so so nice. There’s a belief that the people in the north are cold, and I don’t know if I’m just not far enough north, or if the stereotype is just completely wrong, but the people here are insanely nice. They never get annoyed with my terrible Spanish. Every family I’ve met for private lessons has told me if I ever need anything, to come to them–and they actually mean it. If I need a ride somewhere, help figuring out how to buy a bus pass, recommendations on the best bodegas, etc–they are so happy to help. I think my Spanish is improving so much because I have no worries about speaking it, even though it’s bad. There is zero judgment, so I feel fine to say or ask whatever I need, sometimes again and again haha, until they understand me.
I’m taking Spanish lessons four times a week, for five hours total. And my Spanish really is already improving. This month there is a pop up book fair in the park next to my apartment (can I say again how much I love Logroño), and I bought The Little Prince and have been (slowly) reading it. My Spanish is still terrible but for the first time in my life I have hope that I might not be incapable of learning, that maybe by the time I’m done here, I’ll actually be good–or at least somewhere close to good.
For work, I have two jobs, both teaching English. One is at an elementary school, and one is doing private lessons after school’s out. I love the private lessons. They are exhausting, but the kid/s really pay attention and learn, and all my private students are super nice/cute/funny and I love hanging out with them. Plus I get to practice my Spanish with their parents, the super nice people mentioned above. I interviewed at multiple academies and quickly realized finding work in either an academy or through privates lessons would be super easy in Logroño. So I went for the higher paying option, and though it’s only been three weeks, I get the impression it’s a bit more secure than I originally thought. No one has canceled yet.
My school is a bit tougher. I’m supposed to be a language and culture assistant, and because I’m not meant to be teaching alone, no experience or training is required/provided. However, my school (breaks the rules and) puts me in my own classroom with the younger kids, which is REALLY hard, especially on the first day. The kids don’t know who I am. They don’t know enough/any English–and I don’t know enough Spanish–to accomplish ANYTHING, so mostly they run wild while I try not to let them hurt each other. It’s not great but week two has definitely been better than week one, so hopefully as I learn more/they get to know me better, it will keep improving. The teacher for grades 4-6 stays with me like she’s supposed to, and I love those classes because the kids understand me. Plus the entire school treats me like a celebrity–when I walk down the hall every student runs up and says hello and tries to talk to me. It’s pretty cute.
I do miss things from home. Mostly people. Katie. And Mexican food. There’s one Mexican food place in Logroño and guacamole is twice as expensive as a burrito… you can imagine the size of the burrito. I miss my pilates studio and the beach. But I still plan on going back to California eventually, and until then, Logroño is a perfect place to be.
Until next time, or as literally every single person in Logroño says, ‘sta luego!
But what will I actually be doing in Spain? Great question! I’ve been placed in an elementary school in the city where I’ll be living (Logroño). This is pretty great, because some people have to commute an hour each way to get to/from their schools, or chose to live in a tiny pueblo. I seriously lucked out with my placement, and am pretty relieved I’m not leaving the traffic of LA to move across the world to an even worse commute!
How it works:
For every region other than Madrid, you work 12 hours a week and get paid 700 euros a month (no, that’s not a typo, I am actually losing more that 75% of my monthly salary!). A huge perk is that because you’re only working 12 hours a week, it’s extremely common to have three day weekends, which does not sound too shabby to me. In Madrid, to combat the higher cost of living, they work 16 hours a week and get 1,000 euros a month. Per hour, this is pretty comparable to what other professional Spaniards make. For me, it’s something that results an anxiety attack if I think about it for too long.
That said, almost everyone supplements their income with private lessons or by working at a language academy.
Academies vs private lessons
There are pros and cons to both private lessons and language academies. Private lessons pay more per hour. The going rate in Logroño is 15 euros an hour for one person, 20 for two, and so on. These lessons can be easier to plan, and often just involve playing games with a kid, or having a conversation on a specific topic with an adult. You also have complete control over your schedule. Those awesome three day weekends? You can keep them by just not scheduling classes on Fridays! Have friends coming to visit? Tell your clients you’re unavailable for a week. There’s tons of flexibility. The downside is there is pretty much no security. People can cancel on you at any time, or decide to stop taking lessons, and suddenly your paycheck is tiny again with no notice. Another less than ideal aspect is travel time. If a lesson is a 20 minute walk from your apartment, you’re actually getting 15 euros for an hour and forty minute time commitment. That sounds a lot less appealing than 15 euros an hour.
Language academies are much more of a commitment. In general you’re teaching larger groups, often full classes of people. This usually means more lesson planning, though some academies will do this for you. You get paid less than 15 an hour, but you work a lot more hours, so in general you’ll make much more working at an academy than just by private lessons. You don’t have to worry about someone flaking and not getting paid, because it’s an entire class. A few people can bail, you still get paid. The only real downsides are the lower rate per hour and lack of flexibility.
Also since you technically don’t have a work visa (it’s weird and complicated but we’re technically there on a scholarship and a student visa), working at all is illegal and you’ll have to be paid under the table. Everyone does it, but I guess it is a risk to be aware of.
All that said, I’d LOVE to get a job at an academy, because a steady paycheck is something I’ve really grown to love in my years spent living like I’m some sort of adult.
I have a few interviews set up for when I first arrive, and I’m REALLY hoping one of them works out, cause I’m gonna need some extra money to afford all the traveling I hope to do.
logroño
Calle Laurel, the heart of Logroño and less than a block away from my piso! Source
I already found an apartment by breaking the cardinal rule of international moves–I said yes without seeing the place in person. That said my research was thorough, I spoke to THREE former tenants (who all lived there different years), and spoke to the landlord more than once to make sure she wasn’t a psycho (she isn’t). Mostly I did this because I’m showing up with Brady and finding an apartment that allows pets was looking like a real nightmare. I checked other cities in Spain and they all seem a lot more happy to have animals, but people in Logroño just does not seem into it. My options were crazy limited, I couldn’t find an affordable/pet friendly hostel/hotel/airbnb to crash at while I looked, and this place seemed pretty great, honestly. I would have been super interested even without the pet friendly pressure I was under. It’s right in the center of Casco Antiguo, or the old quarter of the city. It has big, floor to ceiling windows, and is walking distance to pretty much everywhere. Also the landlord was fine with Brady. Sign me up!
I found roommates already too, one was here in LA and just graduated from UCLA. We’ve had coffee and she seems really nice and really clean, which is great. A girl from New England is taking the last bedroom, which is great cause maybe I can get her to care about the Patriots with me!
Having an apartment means that when I arrive in a few weeks, I’ll have a place to go right away. I can get settled in from the start, get to know my neighborhood, and focus on other stressful things, like opening a bank account, getting my foreigner identification card, and figuring out health insurance! Also San Mateo* will start a few days after I get there, so I think I’ll have a lot of Rioja wine sampling to do.
In the meantime I have a million things to do before I go. Mainly sell my car. Also figure out what I’m doing with all my possessions I’m not planning on taking to Spain. And finish Brady’s pet passport. And change all my addresses and tell all my banks. There’s a lot. That said, I got an international driving permit on Saturday. Now I just have to learn to drive stick…
I’ll post about the progress, and how I got my visa and the steps I’m taking to get Brady his. And in 15 days time, I’ll be writing to you from Logroño.
*I am fairly certain that video takes place on my future street. RIGHT in the middle of everything, which is great because I’m naturally lazy and don’t really go to social events that take much effort. I can probably swing this.
I have a big announcement. It’s one that’s been SO HARD to keep quiet, but that I’ve been waiting to write until about it was finally, officially real. Ready?
I’m moving to Spain in exactly 16 days.
Crazy.
I applied back in February, and did so without much thought. No one was sure it was a real thing. I wasn’t sure it was a real thing. And yet here we are.
As much as I love Los Angeles, and my friends, and my career, I never meant to settle down and stay. Not yet. There are about 195 other countries I want to see first, and some languages I’d like to learn, and a few other things that are pretty important for me to feel like I’m living the best life I can.
So on a whim I decided to make a move. It’s kind of crazy how little thought I put into it. A few friends were teaching in Vietnam, so I decided to do that. I told one of my closest friends, just to see how it felt to say it out loud, and she told me I was insane and if I was moving anywhere, it shouldn’t be farther away from Gareth. I think it was even her who suggested Spain. She is a very wise woman.
Spain meant Gareth was a two hour plane ride away. Two hours. Right now, if I’m lucky enough to find a direct flight, it’s still around twelve. I could fly on a budget airline and be in London, or any other European city, for about $100 return. Can you imagine?
Then I found the ministry’s Auxiliares de Conversación program. I’d looked into teaching in Spain back in college, when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the gap year between school and work I had so planned on taking. I had only heard of CIEE, which charges a few thousand dollars to do the same exact thing as the ministry. (Ministry is free.) I filled out my application that day. I had to wait a bit for things like my transcript and letter of recommendation, but I think the time from first hearing about it until completed application was about six days. I was ready.
I’m going to make a post with the timeline, but my readiness meant nothing, and what I actually did was wait around for a few months before hearing anything. Not exactly easy, cause patience is hard, but finally I found out I’d been placed in La Rioja, and then a few weeks later that my school was in Logroño, the capital of the region.
You guys, Logroño sounds amazing. I’m sure you’ve heard of Rioja wine–this is where it’s from. There are dozens of wineries in the region, and twice a year they have big wine festivals. San Mateo, the wine harvest festival, is in September. There are fireworks and parades every day, and fountains of wine, and possibly a giant food fight? Not sure but am very excited to find out.
And then in June, there is San Pedro, a wine battle (Batalla del Vino). Which is just what it sounds like. You wear all white and fill up water guns and have a wine war. A WINE WAR.
Logroño was also named the gastronomic capital of Spain a few years back, and the food is meant to be delicious. It’s not a touristy city, so it’s crazy cheap (like under $200 in rent) and English isn’t nearly as prevalent as in Madrid or Barcelona. It’s also gorgeous and right in the middle of northern Spain, which is overlooked for reasons I don’t understand. I’ll show you soon, but it’s beautiful up there.
I’ll be teaching English for 12 hours a week at an elementary school, and should have Fridays off to travel. I’m going to try to take Spanish lessons 3-4 times a week, because half the purpose of this trip is to get conversational/fluent. I’m definitely going to look for work doing private lessons to help beef up my (teeny, tiny) paycheck, but will hopefully be traveling at least once every few weeks to meet Gareth in whatever city sounds good that month. Basically, life is about to get PRETTY GREAT.
For now I’m in LA. And that’s wonderful because I really do love LA. It’s gorgeous, we all know the weather is perfect, the food is delicious, and everyone here has a dream and ambition and passion, which is a pretty cool community to belong to. Will I come back? I hope so. I think. I’m not totally sure what comes next after this–hopefully spending some time seeing parts of the world with Gareth. Regardless, right now it feels like anything is possible. Which is kind of the best feeling I can imagine. I’m so excited for the future, and though I’ve had my doubts (believe me), I feel really ready for this.
During her last birthday, my roommate made a 30 before 30 list. As someone who loves lists and was an avid user of 43things.com, I was immediately drawn to this idea. Like, found it hard to sit still for another second when all that was racing through my head was everything I knew I wanted to accomplish by the time I’m 30.
There are certain things I don’t think you can/should put a time limit on. There’s nothing about weddings or babies on my list, because those aren’t things you should rush. But I do think it’s incredibly helpful to have a list of things you can look at to help you prioritize your goals. There are so many things I could have already crossed off, had I been actively working towards doing so–like LASIK. I’ve wanted it for years but there was never the thing to push me to get it. This list is that thing! I’m also just incredibly neurotic and as soon as I have a list my fingers itch until I can start crossing things off. So without further ado,
I’m aware I’ve KIND of cheated in some places (like if I do 3, 9, or 11, I’ll have automatically done 2). I’ve also changed direction a bit since turning 25, and have changed some goals. All the progress I’ve made has been since creating this list, and I didn’t add anything later that I’d already started working on–mostly I just don’t really care about learning to do a smoky eye that much anymore. I think that’s the point–to be inspired and reminded of what you want every time you look at it, but to understand that interests will develop as time passes.
Well this one was just plain cheating. Two for the price of one, really. My reasoning behind it was I had specific goals to go to multiple African countries (all on the list), but had a larger goal to just set foot on the continent.
