Two and a half weeks have passed since I joined Robin in Spain. To my relief, it feels like longer. I had always hoped that time would expand once we took this leap, especially in these first few weeks of settling in—because at last there would be nothing to do. That is not true, of course; there is always something to do, and once you deal with one list another one quickly appears: registering as a Danish ex-pat now living in Spain, applying to obtain my EU health card, asking questions of the infuriatingly unhelpful Spanish bureaucrats, looking for an apartment, finding cheap phones, trying not to lose any more money through visa mess-up madness, etc.

But more and more both Rob and I are hit with the knowledge that it is all about perception. There is always going to be ‘something to do’, so we had better find a way of lifting our spirits despite the mountain of administrative tasks our society requires—especially of those who move around internationally.

Some people are naturally very good at dealing with logistical things. For us, they often feel insurmountable. I think we both find it less daunting to commit to plunging ourselves into a foreign language and culture than we do committing to the process of applying for a study visa. Ugh! I almost changed my mind about going on exchange to Mexico years ago because of the exhaustive requirements of the visa application. Of course I am glad I did not. And that is the thing—once you get going, it comes along alright, and somehow you do get through it. I think it just seems overwhelming for those of us who forget that a building is constructed brick by brick, and mountains are climbed one step at a time.

All this aside, there is much less to do here than either of us has experienced in many years. I am frankly very grateful for it. In the past, during times of transition, I have often found myself anxious for the next activity. Despite how much I may yearn for ‘nothing to do’ when I am full tilt into the work schedule, and/or studying, socializing, and keeping up on life admin, I have found it difficult to truly enjoy the lulls when they come. This time I am consciously savouring this feeling of limbo. Although I have had a few moments of financial panic, I know that something will come along. And when it does, I will look back at this stage, and this time I am determined that I will look back with gratitude that I made the best of it, rather than realizing that in worrying about the future, I missed it. No, not this time.

So what do I do with myself these days?! Well, lately, I fight colds and coughs. My main weapons are sleeping in and drinking tea, and I am making headway. I also practice yoga; in two weeks I start my intensive yoga teacher training, so I aim to practice at least four times a week, in hope that the inevitable butt-whipping brought by three weeks of intensive daily practice and study does not hit me quite so hard. I pick my way through the book on yoga philosophy that we are supposed to have read before going. I eat lunch with Rob after he is done with his classes, I walk by the river and through the city, I try to tackle some of the ‘things to do’ (but honestly I have not made much headway there), and I watch Spanish movies with Rob. We also meet Spaniards for language exchanges, and from one such exchange came a really positive step towards our immersion in Spanish culture: going out for dinner with a Spanish couple and understanding the majority of the evening’s conversation while successfully explaining whatever we attempted, one way or another. The night’s other success was the discovery of  a magnificently delicious tapas restaurant, which cost half as much as such a place would do in Canada… so come visit, amigos, and we’ll take you there!

Delicious tapas aside, sometimes I ask myself what all this amounts to, and why we are really here. We both have to remind ourselves many times that this is one of those brick by brick situations, and it is okay not to see the whole picture yet. So in the meantime, it is also okay to sleep in, drink tea, practice yoga, and wander the city, all the while counting the moments until the next meal… it’s still early days. I am hopeful these tiny steps are the first in finding our way to a life honouring our hearts’ desires, and indeed, first taking the time to sit still long enough to know what those are.