Bienvenido a 2021!
Como estas? Todo bien? Ojalá que respondes, claro que si. 
Yo sé que el mundo ha estado un poco loco pues en realidad muy loco. Casi he sido un ano completo desde este "detour" empecía y parece que no tendrá un fin. Pero, le digo - no pierde el fe! 
Me tengo que decir esto todo el tiempo. Yo sé que no es fácil en el momento pero creo que cosas mejorara.

Y asi - vamos a repasar las cosas positivas:
1. Mi español ha mejorado - por fin! Este proceso me ha llevado mas larga que quería. Pensaba que viviendo en un país con los hablantes de el idioma de español, lo hablaría más rápido pero no es el caso. De hecho, mas que antes de tengo que hacer mi misma practica el idioma. Es muy fácil ir a mis casa después de un largo día de trabajo y no hacer nada. Sin embargo, la noticia buena es que estoy continuar con mi practica dell idioma y poco a poco mejorando! 


2. Hice semi-finalist a Fulbright! Y ahora, voy a hablar en ingles.
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Now English :D

Okay so I wrote all of that in Spanish with no translation so anyone with knowledge of Spanish grammar please don't read as your eyes will probably bleed. Anyways, this year has been crazy has it not? Anddd it has almost been a year of this however let's keep the faith! At least that is what I tell myself almost daily. I've given up trying to make sense of it all.  At this point all we have is Hope and Hope is all we need. 

So two bright things - because more than ever, we (meaning I) must look for the shiny and marvelous things in life. 

1. My Spanish is actually improving. Not as much as I would have liked  (especially since this is year three) but if I were to compare my first year here to now, I would definitely notice a difference - so I mustn't complain. 

2. I applied for Fulbright AGAIN. Call me crazy but I really believe in the mission of Fulbright and it aligns with my future career goals. Maybe I'm not making this fact clear enough on my application or maybe I just keep choosing really competitive countries but at least this round I can say that I made: SEMI-FINALIST. Which I am (and will always be)  completely ecstatic about, however, rumor has it, that they were also accepting more applicants this year due to people being deferred or their program being cut short due to last years craziness. So, I made it all the way to the semi-finalist round and was then promptly rejected, cut-off,  presumed not to be good enough - or honestly who knows what actual criteria they were looking for because it's such a vague application with such a shifting and (non) transparent process. Nevertheless, still absolutely thrilled to have made it to the semi-finalist round. 

3.Some other random tidbits - I had to do some serious praying for me to get my TIE (which is my legal residency card) in order to be able to go home for Christmas. I could I have used a regreso but it was such a 50/50 chance with it plus I got stuck in Germany for almost a week when returning home because of #filomena but that is a completely different story. I started the process to get my residency card in JULY of 2020 and received it two days before I left for home in DECEMBER 2020. Just to give some perspective on how crazy and disorganized the process has become. In other #career news, I'm up to my limit of years that I can work within the central governments edu. system so I'm also actively searching for other options (i.e. jobs, fellowships, etc.) - that too is a completely different topic that can lead down a rabbit hole. 

So in conclusion 2021 life  updates:
-My Spanish is improving
-At least I made it to the semi-finalist round of Fulbright
-I was able to go home for three wonderful weeks and see all my fur babies (( despite not knowing if I would actually have my residency card in time for my flight :O ))
-I am standing in complete faith in God that by this time next year, I will have a marvelous update on my life. 

This is like a random capsule of my life journeys starting from my love Costa Rica and ending who knows whereeee.......

Hasta la próxima vez 
​

Bienvenidos todos a 2020. Este ha sido un año muy loco, ¿verdad? Aún así, estoy en España, de hecho, pasé todo el tiempo de la cuaratina en España. Si preguntas cómo fue, tuve una gran experiencia. Ha sido una experiencia única ver esta ciudad tan grande y llena de turistas, de repente vacía. A veces me alegraba vivir la experiencia de España sin turistas ni gente gritándome que comprara sus cosas, pero otras veces me sentía un poco extraño porque la energía era diferente. Muchas tiendas siguen cerradas. Las fronteras TODAVÍA están cerradas y ahora la mayoría de las ciudades dentro de España también están cerradas. Entonces, en este momento, la vida aquí es un poco extraña, diferente ... No puedo explicar exactamente los sentimientos que tiene la ciudad. Sí, ella es hermosa y llena de carácter (que nunca se fue) sin embargo la plenitud de vida no es la misma.

PERO estoy seguro de que es lo mismo en todas partes del mundo. De alguna manera, todas nuestras vidas han cambiado. Lo único importante es que nunca nos rendimos ni perdemos la fe. Y asi, pensaré en cosas positivas en este momento (tanto nuevas como del pasado):
1 Me encanta mi piso y mi barrio muchooooo
2. tengo un trabajo
3. Vivo en una ciudad que amo; Cuando era niño, quería vivir en Nueva York. Mi ciudad es como Nueva York pero a menor escala y más barata. Además, puedo practicar mi segundo idioma y al mismo tiempo tener la capacidad de viajar internacionalmente.
4. He estado en un capullo y no tengo ningún problema con esto.
5. No me falta nada. ( I lack for nothing)

All in all, living through this experience abroad hasn't been bad. If anything, it solidified that I am truly in the place that I'm meant to be. I have never felt more at home. 
Animo  :D

Life has changed so much! The image on the left is me this summer (2019)
The image on the right is me summer 2017. 

This is why I love photos. It shows you so much. 

So this blog is called: Costa Rica to Spain because I started this blog while living for a short period in Costa Rica and have now found myself in Spain living long-term. However this past summer I was able to visit Costa Rica again except this time with my family! 

It felt like I was on a floating cloud. It was so surreal to see something my mother and I talked about come to life. I was able to show them all of my old places (mom loved Monteverde!) and share them what it is like to travel abroad. While traveling abroad with my family was an experience like no other - I am so excited that I was able to share this beautiful country with them.

Visited three special places:
La Fortuna
Monteverde
Manuel Antonio 

Never take moments for granted.
Summer 2019

My last post before my first year completion post and this (in my opinion) is the most daunting one of all: 
RENEWAL

Okay so you made it through your first year. Realized that although there were some bumps along the road overall it wasn't as bad and you want to do it again - OR- you are attending university - OR - you've decided to just stay an extra year on a student visa (because that is also possible) either way you are staying. It is imperative that you renew your residency card, called the TIE, or risk getting banned from Spain. Yep, banned. If you do not have the proper paperwork they will kick you out and for a certain period you will not be allowed to reenter. But honestly that for the truly last minute person who must have been living under a rock - you have plenty of time to procure your renewal even if you wait to the last minute because you are completely clueless on what to do (i.e. ME)


Renewal Process Step ONE:
1. You can start this process 60 days (2 months) before the expiration of your TIE. What I wish someone had told me was that in most cases, you do not need to have all your paperwork. This is especially true for Madrid (if renewing in that region). Just turn in what you have and then as the other paperwork starts to come in you can bring it into the office. This is important because the sooner you have a stamp of "transmite" the sooner you can request a regreso.....
2. Required paperwork
- Passport (2 copies) + the original 
-Tie (2 copies) + original
-Carta from previous year (your acceptance from the previous year)
-Cart for upcoming school year (your acceptance letter for the next school year)
-Tasa 052 (must pay bill at the bank before turning in) 
-Modelo Form ex00
in some cases:
-empadromiento 
-health insurance 
-carta de aprovechamiento (basically stating you did a good job at your school) 
3. Bring all the paperwork into the office of your region (or in some cases you can mail it off). They in return will supply you with a stamp showing that your application is in process. This will allow you to proceed with a regreso​ in case your paperwork is not finished in time (which typically it is not but do not worry as we all have to deal with his :/ ) 
4. You will be able to check your progress online (if not online then you will receive updates from your region). Your application status could take anywhere from a few weeks to 3 months+ review so remain extremely patient! (I am in the midst of waiting so I completely understand) 

Renewal Process Step TWO:
Coming Soon.......




Autorización de Regreso 

Step one.... collect all your paperwork and (IF required) set an appointment 

Step two......gather paper work needed
1. stamped ex00 modelo form
2. ex13 modelo form
3.copy of passport (entire book)
4. copy of Tie (back and front)
5. tasa 
6. Flight info (to show you are coming back)
7. In some cases (mine specifically) empadromiento

step three.......submit all the paperwork and within a few days to a week you will have your regreso. 

honestly the only stressful thing about the regreso is A.) getting an appointment because they fill up fast B.) Making sure you have all the tedious things they require - for example some places will want your empadromiento while others will require you print out your ENTIRE passport book. Again tedious and just depends on how the person is feeling that particular day C.) Making sure you have left yourself enough time. I think for me this was by far the most stress-inducing because I literally had a week left to get my regreso and I was scrambling like crazy. Now that I know I can register for TIE without all the paperwork I feel a bit more at ease for the next go-around, but leave yourself plenty of legroom because punctuality has not always been the Spanish government's strength (sidenote: this is based solely on my experience you may have a completely different one) 

Fun Fact: Andalusia has so many different holidays and festivies especially during the spring and summer! It seems like every month I am learning about something new that is happening. But hands down my favorite (and the most amazing one!!) is the Feria de Abril. It is a celebration of....spring???? Creo que si, pero no estoy seguro. En realidad, creo que es un celebracion bailar y beber cerveza. El mas popular bebida es: Rubojito. Es un mixto de cerveza de manzilla y sprite.Tan deliciouso pero CUIDADO porque es may facil beber muchos copas y no te das cuenta de todos que has tomado. 
 Abajo hay fotos de la feria - disfruta! 

Ahhh I speak spanglish! Aren't you happy? I basically go between English and Spanish. Hope rising - haha - but basically the feria is a time to celebrate spring or maybe it's just a time to drink and celebrate each others company. A lot of dancing, drinking, and eating happens for about seven days ending in a huge firework show. Below are some photos to enjoy :) 

​

Probably not common knowledge but I love food.
Or Al menos - me encanta probar comida diferente tipos. Por ejemplo mira abajo: ​

Location: Seville 
Name: Jesters 
​
Muy delicioso y un de mi cafe favorito en Sevilla. Me gusta este lugar porque tiene vegan y gluten libre opciones. Bajo puedes ver un plato de avena y un cafe latte con bebida de almendra (porque in Espana no dicen "leche de almendra"  pero "bebida..." porque por supuesto no podemos hacer leche de almendras. 

This place is very delicious and also my favorite coffee place in Seville. I like it here because it has vegan and gluten free options but most importantly it offers me milk alternatives that are not just "soy" milk. I typically get a latte with almond milk. You can get it iced or hot and also 'to go.' 

They have plenty of other options for food - fresh baked goods, açaí bowls and oatmeal. They have also started making yogurt bowls, too. Definitely recommend but WARNING there is literally little to no seating and it's all outside. A very tiny place that can easily be missed. 

Price: $-$$
​

Location: Seville 
Name: La Cacharreria 

Ubicado por las setas - este lugar tiene muchos opciones  ~aviso~ hay un diferente carta en Sábado y Domingo (y es mas cara). He ido ambos tiempos - durante el semana y durante el fin del semana. Prefiero la carta (lunes-Viernes) mayormente porque el precio es mas económico pero como puedes ver abajo la comida es muy delicioso! El foto es de un 'brunch' sábado. Tan abundante y bueno. 

This place is located behind the Setas (the huge tourist attraction in Seville) There are two menus: a weekend menu and a week day menu. I have been both times and prefer the week day menu mostly because of the affordable prices :) However the picture below is from the weekend and as you can see it is very delicious! Regardless of when you go definitely try this place because I am wiling to bet you will find at least one thing you like. 

Price: $-$$$

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Location: Seville (Almeda)
Name: Nickel Burger 

YALL goat cheese is the most amazing thing ever! I have no clue if it's just a thing here in Andalusia or if no matter where you are in the world you will encounter the amazing world of goat cheese but this place has gourmet burgers (and yes they really are gourmet) You can choose one that has already been pre-designed or create your own burger. Additionally there are so many options if you are not a burger fan or if you want some yummy appetizers. All I can say is: TRY THIS PLACE

Price: $$$ super expensive burgers are $11 euros (there's no getting around their high prices but it's worth it)

Located: Seville 
Name: 

Taco Tuesday. 
If you happen to be in Seville on Taco Tuesday visit this place! Otherwise - the prices are astronomically high. They have a lot of creative tacos along with tons of other typical Mexican plates (quesadillas, nachos etc.) To be honest I have only tried two things here: carnitas tacos (pork tacos) and shrimp quesadillas. I haven't gone a lot because when I say it's expensive I mean $$$$$$

Price: $$$$ (for example two tiny tacos for $4 unless it's taco Tuesday then it's $2) 

Location: Seville (Alameda) 
Name:

Great for a simple night out. The tapas were tasty and the paella wasn't half bad. I believe the Chef was from France she spoke multiple languages besides English and Spanish. This was one of the first places that my mother and I visited when I first arrived. It was so good we went back twice. I will say - depending on your budget- yes it is expensive, but unlike a lot of other tourist traps, this place is actually worth the money you spend. 

​Price: $$-$$$ (depends) tapas and meals are meant to be shared so that cuts down the cost

Have a nice drink at a rooftop bar. There are so many especially around the cathedral! You will find a pretty neat mixture of locals and tourist enjoying the night air and Tinto Verano :) 

Price: expensive (but honestly price is relative if you are visiting just live it up)

 Proverbs 16:9
Currently living this out. 
This scripture was basically made for me - a planner (which if you are a planner how hard this must be at first)! 

I would love to say it's all roses and flowers but at this moment it's not. 
In truth and being raw: I feel farthest from roses or flowers or sunshine or even hope 

So here I am right now.
But one day I will write an update about how I made it through

I have hope. Always have hope. 
​Siempre ten fe.

Alright when moving abroad, it is not imperative that you be the most organized person but it helps.
You will need to keep a paper trail of supporting evidence (however it is not all necessary) Below I've listed the three most important documents you will most likely need when moving to Spain (as an auxiliar):

1. Your visa - the first step to legally being here. It only grants you three months but without this you really can't move forward to the second most important document...


2. Your TIE - Residency filing - whatever you want to call it. This little card is a lot like our "state license or driving license" it's what they use to identify us. So whenever you need to go in/out of the country, do some bureaucratic work (like get a background check etc., open a bank account) you need this little card.

3. Empadromiento - This is a census document that proves you live in your town legally. It's only important if you want to vote, possibly need to renew your TIE, eventually get residency or medical benefits.... I think it's important but a lot of people on a student visa don't bother with it. However, if you are on any other type of visa you will need this to show residency for renewal 


So these are the top three documents I have needed to be a bonafide legal resident here. However, depending on your visa type more documents will be needed (like social security - thank goodness I don't have to deal with that) There are a ton more documents that you will need to procure the longer you stay in Spain - for example I just figured out how to get a background check on my own without the help of a translator! WOOHOO. Of course the document has not been delivered yet but at least some sort of paperwork was turned in and I was given the okay---- anyways this is besides the point.

Most importantly - Visa, TIE, Empadromiento are the three most important (and not too scary) documents that you will need to have sometime throughout your stay. 

​xoxoxo

If you are imagining sunny days and endless warm nights when living in southern Spain - think again. They have actual seasons. Now how much climate change has to do with it - I cannot say. Below I've listed the weather patterns for the months that I have been here. If I could give any advice for what to bring due to weather: boots, one winter coat, a scarf, a heated blanket (or some sort of heater because there is a lack of heat during the winter months, an umbrella, rainboots will be needed at some point, shorts, airy shirts, and summer dresses. 
You get all of the seasons. 

September: Boiling hot - worse than a sauna. You will prefer to wear no clothes or you know just not leave your house until 8 or 9 o'clock at night. 

October: Still boiling hot but towards the end of the month the heat will start to lessen. Still no point in wearing any sort of pants. Shorts and summer dresses are a must. 

November: Rainy. At least this year it rained for three of the four weeks in November. I really wish that I had some rain boots during this month because it rained that much and I mean poured.down.raining. 

December: Decidedly cold. Meaning it was cold - cold enough that I rushed to the store to buy a heated blanket because my thick blankets were not cutting it. You will not need a heavy winter cut just yet - but will need some sort of coat, scarf, and boot combo. 

January: Ridiculously cold. You will need a winter coat and it should be insulated. You will find yourself snuggled under your blankets for most of the day and racing to the restroom in the mornings because the floors will be icicles. 

February: still cold like January - however you will notice that your house is colder than outside. That is because there is no heat in your house. Apparently because it gets so hot here for most of the year - they find no reason to have any sort of heat system. So you may now find yourself going out a bit more just to get out of your icicle house. 

March:  Warm. Confusing - yes but for most of March this year it was in the 70's. Apparently that was considered odd according to most locals. I however loved it. I finally wasn't racing to the bathroom in the morning and I could even lay out on my rooftop some days. 

April:  Windy, Rainy, Warm, Hot. Basically all the seasons into one. It started off cool. Then it became rainy - then extremely windy and currently we are experiencing HEAT. Prayerfully it stays this way. 

May: Forecast - 80's and above <insert sunshade face> because I am in heavennnn. 

June: Forecast  - 80's and above. Typically cool mornings, hot days, and warm evenings. Please bring it on!