Here we go

Here we go. Twice for emphasis. Today I received the e-mail I had long been awaiting, and in it were two exciting things. 1. My acceptance letter to the program in Spain which I need to begin my visa process and 2. The details of the school I will be teaching at!

My school is in the district of Hortaleza in Madrid, which I know nothing about but will soon call home away from home (away from home, considering I still plan on living close to the city center). It is an elementary school- which was clearly my first choice- and has a bilingual program, which is obvious since I will be teaching there. Time to read up on my teaching-english-as-a-second-language skills, which as of right now are at a thrilling 0. Unless you count natural skill and ease, then we're good. I have a feeling me and my students will be doing a lot of singing activities.

Anyway, applying for a Visa seems to be a tricky business. So tricky, in fact, that the consulate in Miami sends me an e-mail once (or more) a day. I'm not complaining since it's been giving me a daily dose of humor and insight into the way things are going to be from now on. The Spanish way of doing things seems to be a little more jumbled than the American way, but hey... maybe that's why I like it so much.

This Visa Business, or VB, as it will hereafter be named, includes FBI background checks which is part of the reason for all of the confusion. Apparently these background checks were not required in previous years, and now that they are, everyone is confused about them. Even the people in charge of VB. I received an e-mail yesterday that we would need to apply to get new background checks, which apparently caused an uproar with all the applicants (not with me, since I think my Mom casually lost them in the mail anyway). The problem was having to go to a police station to get fingerprints taken, which could only be done after you purchased the right paper and paid the fee, only to pay another fee to the FBI for them to tell you that you've never been arrested before. It was an okay experience for me considering the officer taking my prints told me I should be a model. Oh... Miami. Anyway, the supposed VB uproar resulted in another email (surprise) instructing us to NOT re-do the FBI application process, just incase. Even after they had told us to start it the day before. I'm sure that went over well with some of the more anxious of the applicants. Not.

Either way, I am so happy and excited that nearly all I can do is daydream. I don't fully feel like it's happening yet, but I'm sure when I get my training date and buy my plane ticket it will all come speedily to fruition.

I'm trying to start the blog back up so that I will be motivated to use it in the fall months. For now, I am enjoying summer and trying to find a job to occupy my time and save that dinero for Go Time.

A