The Time I Missed My Immigration Appointment

The Time I Missed My Immigration Appointment

I am on the train in Madrid and I feel defeated. This week in particular has been challenging for me. I haven’t cried much during my two months living abroad, but this week holds the record. Between school and private classes, from Monday to Thursday, I have been running back and forth like a chicken with its head cut off. I have been stressed about my upcoming (lack) of Christmas plans and frankly, I feel lost. It doesn’t help that I missed my immigration appointment which took me two hours to reach, just to get turned away.

Living abroad, especially by yourself is damn hard. If you like your handheld and your butt wiped, trust me, living abroad is not for you. I have no one but me, myself, and I. Although I have weeks like this which I was to just say forget it and hide under my covers, I am immensely grateful and lucky to have this opportunity.

Keep Going

These two months have stretched, pushed, and molded me. Each day offers an invaluable life lesson. Like today, for example, I was reminded even though everything is going wrong and you feel awful that as long as you’re not dead, keep going. You can only go up. No pasa nada.

It sucks that I missed my immigration appointment. But you know what, nothing too catastrophic has happened. I’m still in Madrid. Yes, it will take me longer to get a residence card and I have to jump through more hoops if I want to travel, but I’ll get it eventually.

Living in Madrid is a character builder. I know I can be independent and survive living in a place where the culture is different and I’m apart from my family and friends. If I feel that I’ve grown a ton within two months of living here, I can’t wait to see what a year looks like. The Chelsea that left Baltimore in September 2013 is definitely not the same girl woman now.

Update: I went to the immigration center yesterday. My NIE card should be here in a month. I have Christmas plans.

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