Drinking my morning coffee at the air B and B the construction crew hasn’t started yet across the street. I could sip some coffee with no banging. I woke up today with that nagging anxiety that has been dogging me. I think the real estate agent Mr. delicious is no longer that, he is not keeping up and finding me a place to live. I think this morning I want to what’s App the guy with the partially furnished apartment in Albatera again to see if he forgot I already emailed him wanting to see the place or maybe Ill just be a pain in the arse and demand some answers. Instead I thought I have hired Pedro to find me a place so I email him instead. I tell him I don’t have much time left to find a place and get my Padron before I lose my place in line for a year stay on my visa. He responds do I have a # of the man Victor with the 3 bedroom place? Um isn’t that his job to find someone? I mean really I have sent him every appointment I was interested in in Elche, but since finding out there is no bus there I now need a place in Alabatera where I can walk to the school and not get run over. Hmm maybe he should pay me a commission? So we decide to head out as I´m to meet the teachers today as a drop in and see the school and get the lay of the land. Due to my control issues and inability to sleep wondering if Ill get lost, or crash and burn in my dreams I want to leave early as hell to get there. Jorge saw me with keys in hand lets go I say but you said 12:40? I said yes but its 1239 now and I want to be driving now I say. He hurries to put his clothes on as I’m about to leave him and drive myself. Welcome to the over planning thinker me who has no patience like an American. He says to relax this is Spain. I say I’m not in Spain mode yet…. wait till after I meet and greet and then we will see about hasta manana mode.

On arrival we park down the street from the 2 story brick primary (elementary) school. I walk up to the gate, its sunny hot and I’m sweating. Four teachers stand as I walk through the gate all waiting for me. Alisa, Annnie, Manuel, and Constance. Because of Covid we could only fist thump. They are each slender, brunette and so cheerful. They handed me a hand painted bag and said welcome to the school!. It was hand painted with my name on it. wow. I immediately thought I should have brought them the pens from the US I go them as gifts. We all introduced ourselves, and they all spoke great English. I stumbled over myself in my poor Spanish. They gave me a tour of the 2 buildings and I met the principle Javi and the assistant Jesus and many other teachers. I noted many kids were still in the building with all there backpacks lined up outside the door. We walked around and I noted the building as colorful and lively and everyone seemed happy. I also noted no AC. Im gonna have to adapt to this and buy a lot on deodorant I thought as my hairs stuck to my head. However each of them looked fine and were not sweating at all. Like Jorge, no AC in the home is the norm for him as well. On another note one of them had a lead on an apartment. She gave the contact information to Jorge as I happily chatted with them as we walked. Fantastic I thought, I start at the school next week I may not be homeless just yet.

They were all so nice to me, my anxiety was allayed to some degree, but I knew Im really not in Kansas anymore. I’m in an elementary school with no English speaking children all under the age of 12. ….400 to be exact. And the noise was deafening…

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I felt my insides remain tight imagining what this will be like. I have been a geriatric nurse for 30 years, now I’m in pediatrics of another kind. Oh boy Maybe I should not have turned down all those babysitting jobs when I was a teenager…