Glad to hear you straightened the residency stuff out. My visa (for which I had to return to New York) took 3 months. My 'green card' (it's blue actually...) took about 7 months, with much standing in lines. But the system, while slow, functions. Once you have the card you can switch jobs too!

Be glad you aren't trying to get an American card because I have friends doing that and it's a nightmare.

45 minutes every day on the train from El Escorial? Ugh. I wanted to live in El Escorial but I sucked it up and got a place in Madrid. *snif* Oh well, someday I will buy one of those houses up on the hill.

Maria Cristina

It´s Tuesday 14 August. On Sunday 5 August, we visited the Bernabeu and asked for you in TGI Fridays, but you weren´t there - it was some time in the afternoon. So, we took a photo of our 5 yr old daughter holding a TGI balloon outside, just to prove we´d been!

We checked the Maravillas shop, but it was closed, we are hoping it will be open on Tuesday 21st August!!!!! (The Birthday).

My parents stayed in Santander one night, but I don´t know where. I passed the information onto them that you gave to me, but as I have been without a computer for some weeks (a virus), I don´t know what they did.

Will give a full report when we return.

Jo

hellloooo remember me??????? the long lost american that threw herself in spain and figured life out!! well i was reading my initial postings and i was laughing on how i started and how things have changed. i work alot. i have so much work i turn alot of it away. i work 7 days a week and i am trying to change that i am really tired. i hate working for VIPS but i can´t leave till may cause i have to stay with them at least 9 months for my residency, i started in august. i work there 20 hours a week but i also teach english and i just have a really bad working schedule right now. i am working on changing things around a bit. i am sooooo incredibly happy here. things have been very hard, but i always find a way to work it out. it has been 10 months, and by january all my ducks will be in a row!!! i am considering moving into the center of madrid. it´s been tough communting back and forth from el escolial on a dialy basis. i don´t want to move but i should for my well being, i need to rest more and be closer to home. some days i can´t go home cause it´s to late and i get stuck in madrid. so at least i went and lived in el escrial for a year, and plus my apartment rocked, i have the MOST beautiful views imaginable from my windows, at least i did it!!! my aoartment is furnished now and i am set. but i am considering moving into madrid in february or something like that. i may go back to visit los angeles in january, i havený beren back since i left, so it would be nice to go back after a year and tell everyone how it went. i have no plans on moving back to states, my life in spain is just fine. i have friends, drama, work, place to live...everything. i miss everyone but i am much happier here and this is where i want to be!!! i move around madrid like i have been here my whole life, it´s amazing. i often stop and think, my goodness, what did i do? i moved to europe. i don´t have to much time to talk, but i wish all of you the best and i am always here for those who need any help making their dreams to come to spain come true!!! later dudes (as we say where i come from) i really miss speaking to people who understand me in MY lingo. but i also enjoy expressing myself in spanish slang (pero tio, no me jodas tronco...pero bueno)

Great to hear that you are happier than ever! I was kind of wondering if and when you would start thinking about a move into Madrid as you were putting in a ton of workin hours plus the commute! Let us know how it goes - and thanks for checking-in and keeping us all posted!

Sheesh! DOES ANYONE ELSE experience unusually active salivary glands when reading "American" missmadrid98's success stories? (insert a Homer Simpson DROOLING sound effect here) GO GIRL, GO!

Thanks for the update!! It's so great to hear that you are doing well and that you are so happy. I'm glad that things are working out for you. We all love to hear from you so keep us informed ¿vale? Take care and although you don't like working at VIPS, at least you live in Madrid right??

AND YOU MR MADRID MAN!!!! when are you getting your ass back to spain to visit. when am i going to finally meet you. i remember contacting you like 2 years ago before you put up this message board and exchanging thoughts on our passion for this place. i remember when i found your website i was like "ah yeah another individual obssesed with madrid (spain), rock on, i can talk to him about how much i love this place and he understands" it would be great to finally meet you one day. hopefully we´ll finally meet over a cafe´ con leche in a cafeteria in madrid!!! and after i write this i will go have one in your name so for 10 minutes you can spirtually be in spain through a cafe´con leche (and a fortuna light for me, cause i know you don´t smoke) heheheh take care and i hope one day you jump off the springboard and dive headfirst and start swimming!!!! get over here!!! dude i will rent out my 2nd bedroom to you if you need it, just get over here and enjoy the place you want to be at. i understand your passion, i know how everyday you wish you could be here just only for 5 minutes, i understand, you just gotta do it man. cause in the end, no matter how hard thigs will be when yo get here, it won´t matter cause you are where you want to be. I am always here to lend you hand to start your life here. i wish for all of those people who have that burning desire to come here, to be here to live here, to try to find the way to do it. do what makes you happy in life. the hardest things to do in life are the things you really want to do. the easiest things to do in life are what to do while you think of the things we would rather be doing!!!


[ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: missmadrid98 ]

Rock on missmadrid98 !!!!

Hi missmadrid98!!! Your wish is MY command! Check the thread, " Dec.29th: Party With MadridMan (in Madrid): Version 3.0 " in the "Classifieds & Personals" forum. Hope to see you there!!! It would be GRRRRREAT! Party on Garth!! oops, ummm... I mean, missmadrid98!!

And I would've been there in Madrid years ago had I had some/any qualifications which would help me work there AND if my ladyfriend believed in marriage.

hey i did my fingerprints yesterday and in 20 days i go pick up my D.N.I.!!!!!!!! so am soooooo like legal. i am soo incredibly happy i can´t beleive this is happening. i am still working and enjoying my home in el escorial the views just kill me every morning. i went to segovia yesterday and the snow capped mountains are just amazing. dude i have bad news......STARBUCKS signed a contract with VIPS and in May of 2002 starbucks will arrive in Spain!!!!!! i think i am going to start my own little boycott of starbucks when they get here and tell them to go back home!!!!!!!!! and also they put a burger king in el escorial......i am so devastated!!!!!!!!!!! i move to a pueblo in spain and they stick a fricken burger king in my pueblo... well it´s at the entrance to el escorial but stillllllllll very sad. spain is changing.. ifeeli moved here just in time!!!