Finally in Spain
Our flight from Austin to Frankfurt took to the air on Tuesday, October 3rd around 5:30 pm. As we waited in the airport, I couldn't help but think about all the years I had lived in Austin and all the things I had accomplished there.
For as much as I loved Austin, it was time for a change and I really wanted the next leg of our adventure to begin. After spending weeks selling, donating and storing items it was nice to sit and do nothing.
We arrived in Barcelona the evening of the 4th. Our short taxi ride and uneventful time through customs was very welcomed. We were prepared with all the documentation we needed, including our visas, just in case we needed to 'splain ourselves.
It wasn't until we were at our new home that we realized our time through immigration was way easier than we expected it to be. We simply presented our passports to the nice gentleman in Frankfurt and he stamped us through to the other side of the airport. That was it.
We had anticipated waiting in a long line and being asked to present some documentation from the consulate but none of that happened. We were somewhat disappointed, but mostly relieved, that we didn't need any of the documentation we had painstakingly prepared for months.
When you go through the long experience we just had, you get used to preparing for the worst. Thank goodness John and I know how to laugh and celebrate the surprises that generally follow our tendency to over prepare for such non eventful moments.
Speaking of surprises, we found a big surprise waiting for us as we entered the door to our new apartment. The owners had used the time we were delayed, our lease started on September 15th, to completely remodel the unit.
We entered a bright, freshly painted space. The bathroom and kitchen had been switched and were newly equipped with everything IKEA. I couldn't believe how bright and beautiful the place looked. It was definitely unexpected and the changes they made to the floor plan really changed the look and feel of the place.
It was then I giggled because, as usual, what I thought was a delay was actually an opportunity for the universe to reconfigure the space more comfortably for us. Yep, these are the things that happen for us when we lean in and say yes despite what our minds are telling us.
Upon booking this place, based on the pictures, I was a bit concerned that the small kitchen "closet" wasn't going to be functional enough for us. I had huge reservations about the space working for us, and my mind said that it was a bad idea. We couldn't see the unit prior to booking, so everything was just going to have to work whether or not it did.
And given the lack of rentals available at the time, we found the location ideal and I decided to override my reservations about the place and gladly say yes to our new home in Spain.
Then I walk in, 18 days late to Spain, to find a brand new floor plan equipped with a very functional kitchen and bath.
It took me a few hours to stop giggling, I couldn't believe the owners spent 10 days completely remodeling the place. How fun!
All the months we'd spent stressing about paperwork and the money we'd spent preparing for this move just seemed to melt away in childish delight as we settled into our new home.
Worth it.