First two WEEKS!
Team Appino week one and two.....
So first off, we hope you are all safe and healthy. It still seems to be a crazy world out there, so wherever you are and whatever you have been doing, we trust you are safe.
Second, thank you for reading. This is just as much for us (to reflect back on in years!) as it is for anyone interested in our family and travels.
We are approaching 2 weeks in Barcelona! Honestly, the first week was very challenging. Ashley and I landed to a home in Sarria with only beds, a kitchen table, and a kitchen with wine, bread, and Jamon - the staples here (thank you to Alex and Marta, this would not be possible without all your help!).
(FYI I have been close friends with Alex for 20+ years, and Alex and Marta have been global travel partners of ours for a decade - they live in Barcelona).
Keep in mind we have most everything different - new home, new town, new friends, new foods, new school, new diets, new gyms, new routines, new schedules, new new new. From the shampoo and towels we use to the people we have dinner with, 98% is brand new. We definitely ‘shook the snowglobe’ as I like to say.
The first week.
We spent the first week picking up random things for the house (knives, pans, cutlery, and plates) and ordering furniture to fit the home. We spent lots of time walking finding our way around our neighborhood here in Sarria. Everything is so close to our front door - 4 fresh bread stores (panaderia), 3 fish markets (pescadaria), numerous open markets, and coffee shops. We don’t have a car for now but walking is just fine - all things we need are within a few minute’s walk. Ashley found an amazing place for us to live while she was visiting in October that is within walking to the subway (4 mins), the school bus stop (4 mins), and countless coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and markets for fresh food and protein. There is even a flower shop below us, one of Hayes's requirements believe it or not.
All in, having an empty home is interesting. It really makes you realize what you need and don’t need. Our place in Parkville was well-furnished and we now have a 2nd-story walkup that is half the size with little in it. There is not a yard or a TV (it was delivered day 8) or even anywhere to sit outside a cheap kitchen table for 4 and one small couch we had delivered on day 9. The home is still 70% empty as of now, but we are enjoying it. We don't have a car and we really don’t need one. The important things in life are here with us (wine included) in our empty flat - soon to be our ‘home.’ Hayes has defined a ‘home’ as a place you have emotional connections to. Ashley and I are so looking forward to this being our ‘home’… at least for now…
The first week the kids visited their new school, adjusted to the time zone, and learned about our neighborhood. I started cooking meals at home and I’m getting used to my “new” kitchen with what I can do (a grill is forbidden in our flat but I’m 100% getting one near term!).
There are countless challenges, too many to write about within this blog. Nobody in this family speaks Spanish (we are learning!), so it’s been hard ordering food in restaurants (we are learning to say sin queue…) and I’ve spent way too much time reading labels in markets on food for low-sugar (bajo nivel de azúcar or sin-azucar) high-fiber options. Also, Ashley and I went to many appointments for the immigration process from registering our house to healthcare and electronic QR covid passes (side note - all wear masks indoor (and even outdoor) without being told or signs. Most restaurants require you to show proof of vaccination to stay and dine-in (agree or not (…and I do not)), this is how it is in Spain currently). It’s been such a process to legally immigrate to a new country. We’ve learned so much. The process is daunting and honestly, it should be a high school requirement to understand and apply for a foreign visa. If it wasn’t for Ashley’s attention to detail and a hundred hours of work we would not be here. We are starting to feel close to being done with the visa/immigration process!
While the kids have had adventuresome palates for the midwest, it is so different here and they are having to retrain themselves on food (week two (below) Hayes and Jon had grilled sardines, arozz negros (black rice), and lubina a la sal (salt-baked seabass) on the beach (placa in Catlan, playa in Spanish) with ‘uncle’ Alex. I cooked a few nights (my skill on bread with tomatoes (pan con tomate) which is a local staple is coming along) and tried a few local restaurants.
The kids enjoy school. Both Ash and I were a little nervous about how they would do in the transition as neither initially seemed overly excited on the move. Hayes is known as ‘the tall kid’ and Ellory has ‘two best friends’ in class already. We get WhatsApp messages from the school group chats saying how the other parents heard their names at the dinner table and the kids like having new friends in class. Kids are so reslient!
Hayes and Ellory are enrolled in after-school activities - Hayes has robotics and soccer and Ellory has all-sports and soccer. Hayes is considering doubling down in soccer or starting ju-dit-su. We bring them to the bus stop around 8:05 am and they are dropped off around 6:00 pm on activity nights, 4:30 pm the other nights. We have a new tradition - crepe
s on Fridays on the walk home!
Ashley and I had a wine tasting and dinner out (without the kids!) to celebrate Alex's birthday. The kids got to walk home at 12:30 am - they thought that was pretty cool. Overall while week one was challenging on many fronts (learning to sleep in a busy/loud city, get back to a normal schedule, learn a new place, etc) it’s been amazing in so many ways. I capped off the week by being invited to the American sports bar for playoff football (yes - beer and wings!) and a big crew of ex-pats from America. Go CHEIFS!
The Second Week
Week two we seemed to find a grove. I started my daily routine (jogging, coffee, and Spanish language class, lunch, and a few short hours of work) as did Ashley (kids set for the day, cleaning up important items for the move, making sure all are ‘legal’ and on the path to success) and we have been either cooking dinner together or trying a local restaurant (it’s amazing WALKING to dinner!) nightly. We are going to the market daily for fresh vegetables and protein (and wine) and enjoying a few minutes here and there with our new TV. We also set up our Spanish cell phones (see below for our numbers)!
Ashley and I woke up on Saturday and were invited to a hike in the mountains, only an hour away from Barcelona. We didn’t go since renting a car was last minute and we had things to do around town. Hayes said he wanted to see ‘the oldest thing in Barcelona’ so we learned the subway system to go to the Barri Gotic and showed him the Roman walls and aqueduct from old Barcino (Roman founded old-town Barcelona in 14BC). We had lunch and wandered down the famous street, La Ramba. The subways here are so easy to use for a couple of midwesterners that never took public transportation! The kids just wanted to ride the subway… all day.
As mentioned above Hayes and I went to the beach on Sunday with Alex and his three kids. It was a great dad’s outing! The weather was perfect for January, 60 degrees and sunny. It’s been the coldest few weeks of the year since we’ve been here, but still 55 and sunny during the day, 35-40 at night. The Mediterranean climate is great! If you are curious, it does not snow here but it does snow many hundreds of inches just an hour north in the Pyrenees Mountains. Hayes has always loved the beach - and now this is his back yard to play in whenever he wants (we are 15 min drive to the beach).
Our shipping container should arrive in 2 weeks. In December we packed our bikes, many clothes, a couch, and a ton of household items from pots and pans to knives and silverware (we have cheap Ikea stuff for now) and all my office furniture (I have nowhere to work!). We also shipped some of our wine collection (not like it’s needed!) and our art as well. We are hopeful we have this delivered by the 2nd week of February and another big local furniture shipment at the same time. The house should start to feel like the ‘home’…soon!
Our goals this week are to join the ‘gym’ (more like a luxury resort from what we are used to) and continue to try new things. We are contemplating renting a car long-term to have better access to good hikes and trips and make transporting goods we buy easier. I’m likely to buy a moto, which will make getting around town super easy (for me, the kids can’t ride until they are 12 and Ashley refuses to drive it). Aso, we will be planning our next 3-day weekend coming up (dad’s ski-trip to Baquiera with school, Valencia, Paris?) and continuing to furnish the flat.
Our time here has been very emotional - and we are definitely finding our groove. It is only to get better from what has been an amazing start to a long-term adventure. We miss so much of what America has to offer, but we’re happy we made this dramatic move here. I believe it is exactly what we needed for where we are Fin life.
Please do commet here, write a letter to us, email, or call/whatsapp (it is free!). We can be reached with the info at the bottom of the page.
Salute to an amazing 2022!
¡Volveremos a escribir pronto!
-Team Appino
Hi Jon. This is Mahendra. God’s blessings on you and your family. Your children are blessed to have you as parents; you expose them to so much of the world. You are right … children are resilient and they adapt and make friends easily. It’s tougher when they are in HS. I’m so glad that you are “jumping in the deep end of the pool” culture wise. (That’s what I did when I came to the USA as a student. Maybe, a little too much for a student!)
This is the first time I’m reading a blog and it makes me feel younger, (and jealous), to read about your adventures. Thanks for the pictures. I look forward to continue to read about your family on FB and your blogs.
There will be many challenges but, as you know, you’ll grow from them. The kids will have so many pleasant memories and global friends.
I saw Akhil before the holidays. He’s doing well. Scott had Covid in his family so I couldn’t see him. How ‘bout them Chiefs? We were at the game. What an experience! Stay well. My love to you and your family.
So great to hear from you. Love the blog, great visuals. Way to force the issue and embrace change. Dan and I cherished our time in Seoul for many of the same reasons you describe. Your kids will look back in this experience and be thoroughly great for all the opportunities you are affording them. Take care and enjoy the ride…or walk in your case 😁.