DAYS 87-89: Getting (Un)Ready

After Kief left, Lizzy and I began packing for our WWOOFing experience. 

To reiterate why we had to leave, Because our attempts to get a long term Visa to stay in Spain for 9 months failed miserably, we were required to leave the Schengen Area (mainland Europe) after a 3 months stay. Once we have exited this area for 3 months, we may reenter for another 3 months before the process begins again. Essentially, as an American, you are only legally allowed to be in Europe without a Visa for 6 months out of the year, each separated into 3 month increments. Because Lizzy and I are desperately poor, we were looking for options to stay in Europe for the three month time period between November 20th and February 18th. Luckily for us, the U.K. and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area, so it would be legal for us to stay there for 3 months until our return to Spain, which is exactly what we planned to do. We have many friends who have WWOOFed and had an amazing experience, so we decided to give it a try.WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms.  Once you sign up with the WWOOF website of the country of your choice, you can then look up different farms to find a place to stay and work for free. Essentially, you work a certain number of hours daily gardening, farming, or other activities in exchange for food and housing. It's kind of like indentured servitude... but it's a great way to get to see the world and learn new things on a budget.

During the middle of our three months in Ireland and the U.K. my amazing and wonderful family would be coming to visit us in London for a week over Christmas! So in addition to packing to live and work on cold farms for 3 months, we also needed slightly fancier clothes (like going to Christmas mass in, etc.) So packing was not easy!

The night before we left was Wednesday, and Lizzy and I each had everything packed and ready to go. Pilar and Luis wanted to take me out to dinner with the kids to say goodbye, which was so sweet. We went to a restaurant, where I put my purse under my chair. Five minutes later, I noticed it was missing. I looked all around, checked under the kids seats, everywhere. NOTHING. SOME A$$ STOLE IT. (pardon my French)

How I felt like dealing with the Spanish Police Department

Keep in mind, I was leaving the next day. Therefore, I had EVERYTHING in that purse. So. stupid. My wallet, identifications, passport, iPod, iPhone, and perhaps most significantly to me were my Dad;s sunglasses which he gave me for graduation. Needless to say, I was so upset. Couldn't function so upset. The kids were so confused about what had happened while Luis tried to talk to a manager to look at the video surveillance, so which they told him only the police could look at. I called my parents to ask them to cancel my cards for me. We got back to the flat and I immediately set out to change all my passwords that they might be able to access on my phone.

10 minutes after I got home, my Dad skyped me holding up my brand new debit card to the screen. Can you say SuperDad?? Luis then took me to a police station to put a report in on the purse and what was inside.


We arrived at the police station to find the officers sitting at the security booth eating Chinese food and watching XFactor. GREEEATTT. They sent us inside the building to a man sitting a desk to report my purse stolen. This man then explained to Luis that they were too busy to take my report tonight and to go to another station or some back tomorrow. REALLY? I think Simon Cowell and your General Tso's chicken can wait 10 minutes to let the sobbing girl write her name and address down for you. BUT APPARENTLY NOT.

So we left. And SuperHostDad took me to another police station. To find these officers of the law sitting outside and smoking while Luis discussed my situation to the officer in charge. This kind man told me I could not report something stolen if I did not have ID. To which I explained that I don't have ID because it was stolen. He pretty much told me the Spanish version of "Tough luck honey." At this point, Luis said we could keep going to the next police station, but I was so emotionally exhausted, I said lets just do it tomorrow.

We got back to the flat to find the kids asleep and Pilar waiting with a nice cup of tea for me. We watched "The Quiet Man"- A personal favorite and one of Pilar's as well. It was a nice way for me to calm down and get ready for the embassy to get an emergency passport the next day.