I'm in SPAIN!!!

Wow! A lot has happened since my last update!

When I went to my scheduled visa appointment, they told me I don't need a visa because my classes are for less than 90 days. That is true, but because I had to come over early for orientation, my total stay within the Schengen area is going to be more than 90 days. They told me they couldn't issue a visa for a class duration of under 90 days and that I would need to visit the foreign affairs office in Spain once I got to my final destination, so that's going to be fodder for a future story. 

In the meantime, I flew from Los Angeles on the 12th as planned. I was very blessed in that the seat next to me on the plane was empty, and the kind grandmother in the adjacent seat moved to another empty seat so I could have the whole row to myself. That was really nice because it was an overnight flight, and I was able to lie down and sleep some. I didn't sleep like a baby or anything, but it was better than nothing. Just being able to lie down helped as well. When I wasn't resting, reading, or watching something in Spanish, I turned on a Spanish audiobook and worked on crocheting this friendly little croissant man. It seemed like the right thing to do on my flight to and the train from France! 

Little Croissant Man

I landed in France in the late morning and had the opportunity to go see the Eiffel Tower while I was in the city. It's bigger than I expected it to be, and it looks kind of rusty. Those two things surprised me. People were really kind to me throughout Paris though. I think it's unusual in Europe for a wheelchair user to do things alone, so I had no problem getting whatever help I might need, and some I didn't exactly need too. I did run the battery to both my phone and my wheelchair power assist dead within 3 minutes of each other when I went to see the Eiffel Tower. Thankfully, I had just requested an Uber, and I got a kind driver who was willing to go above and beyond to find me and load my chair. There are about 2 million people in Paris, so I'm sure someone would have helped me if I had gotten into bigger trouble, but I'm grateful it worked out without that. By the way, if anyone ever tells you that everyone in Paris speaks English, don't listen to them. People in the service industries speak very little English, and those that do, don't understand an American accent, so you might end up with shower GEL when you ask for a shower CHAIR. Just something to keep in mind if you plan on travelling to Paris any time soon. 

Near the Eiffel Tower 10 Minutes before My Phone and Power Both Died

The next day, I got on a train to head towards Spain. That was a project in and of itself. Once again, I got an awesome Uber driver who not only delivered me to the train station, but he didn't leave me until I, my chair, and my heavy luggage were all loaded onto the right train. I had requested accessibility help, but nothing happened, and my seat was on the 2nd story of the train. Thankfully, other passengers helped, and I was able to get up there. The high-speed train in France goes around 200 miles per hour, so it only took a couple of hours to get across the country. I was able to finish my little croissant man on the train. The countryside was BEAUTIFUL once we got out of Paris. Paris is cool too, but it's a great big city with lots of people and even more graffiti. I did wish I'd had time to go to the Louvre while I was there, but maybe that's an excursion for another day.

River Between France and Spain

My bus into Spain was almost an hour late, but I caught my first glimpse of Spain around 7:30PM. There's a pretty river that separates the two countries. The Spanish countryside is beautiful too, though it was soon too dark to see much of it that night. I stayed the night in Bilbao. I planned to ride the next bus into León the following morning, but due to my body not cooperating well with me, I missed my bus. Since it was a national holiday in Spain that day, there wasn't another bus until the next day. Thankfully, a kind security guard saw me crying and struggling with my luggage, so he came to my rescue. He helped me go to the ticket booth so I could get a ticket for the next train, then he and another security guard walked me to an adjacent hotel and stayed with me until they were sure I could get a room for the night. It was a little expensive, but welcome to the world of traveling with a disability. I honestly needed a day of rest by then anyway, so the break was a welcome one. Oh, and I did manage to run my wheelchair power assist battery dead again exploring the city while I was there, but 3 young gentlemen pushed me the 10 minutes I was away from my hotel.

The bus trip from Bilbao to León was a little hard. I got woke up in the night, and couldn't go back to sleep, so I was really tired. My bus left earlier than my body wanted to start working, but I wasn't about to miss another bus! Then I got some motion sickness. I was really happy when I finally made it to León. Someone met me at the bus station to help me with my bags, and at long last, I was at my apartment. I was very grateful to be able to crawl into the bed and sleep that night! 

So, there you have it! That's how I got from the US to my apartment here in Spain. It took me a few days to settle in, and then classes started. I'm in a crash course for Spanish before my official classes start, and it's been really good for me. I can pretty much understand and be understood with my current level of Spanish, but I still have a LOT to learn. Of course, that's why I'm here. My health has so far been better here too, and I'm very, very grateful that it has all come together for me. God is good. 

Universidad de Léon Centro de Idiomas

Catedral de León

They have some cool activities and stuff planned for us here, so I'll be sure to keep you all posted. This has been the chance of a lifetime, and I look forward to sharing this healing journey with you as things continue to come together. I still have to get my visa figured out, or I'll have to get creative. Getting exported isn't my idea of a creative adventure, so stay tuned for the next development!