Memorial Day weekend looked much different than the last two years! After our heinous trip from Japan to Spain, our Memorial Day Weekend passed while Hugo and Reynolds slept off their triggering journey and I adjusted to the new time zone of our new home! I was also quick to unpack the boxes I had mailed to our sponsor, Ryan Twaddle, that were filled with sweet notes from some of my Darby students- these sweet notes brought a brightness to our temporary home and a huge smile to my face. Gosh, I'm going to miss those kiddos!
Week One:
Monday, May 29th, the entire base was a ghost town due to the extended holiday weekend, so the pups and I used this time to explore the base! With a picture of the base map below on my phone, we headed out to see what we could find!
Right around the corner from the Navy Lodge is Bryan's future workplace: US Naval Hospital Rota! The pups sniffed out the best places to meet Dad after work (once he gets here, of course!)
We also found the base library, Fleet and Family, the NEX, Commissary and the base security building- all places I will visit tomorrow to begin the check-in process.
The base livened up on Tuesday, May 30 and the day was a bit of a whirlwind! I started at the hospital, where I turned in my overseas screening packet and had Bryan's orders stamped. Then I was off to Base Admin, where I had to show 15 different documents proving I was allowed to be here, in order to receive my "Page 13."
With the Page 13 in hand, I took off across the base to find Base Security, where I showed all 15 documents again plus the Page 13, and received my TEI Spanish ID card.
Rota's base is unique; it is a Spanish Military Base that hosts American facilities, so in order to get on and off base, shop at the commissary/NEX, and pretty much sign up for anything on base, you need the all-powerful TEI card! BIG check box done!
With my TEI card in hand, I went to a nearby office to apply for an NIE, which is a Spanish ID number for purchasing Spanish cars, renting an off-base house, buying insurance, etc. Once I paid the €10 fee, I was told to come back in 3 weeks to receive the NIE. Dang, the Spanish really do live on "beach time." I am learning I am NOT a patient woman!
The final stop for the day was to the Housing Office to sign up for the Friday Housing Brief. Well, for the summer they moved the brief to Tuesdays and I missed it by 30 minutes. So that's awesome. So that to-do got bumped to the next week. I did get to speak with a housing representative who explained the general housing process and set me loose to begin the house search.
I celebrated getting my beginning checklist done in one day by spending the evening on the Base beach, where I collected tons of sea glass while admiring the view of Rota! I was trying not to get my hopes up about finding a place in Rota, but seeing the Rota cityscape made me a little jealous of all the military people in apartments that close to downtown and the main gate!
While eating dinner on Tuesday, I started the housing search process! (I'm telling you, that skyline had me hopeful and I've already admitted I am not a patient woman!) After finding the below Google Map with the various neighborhoods around Rota, I scoured multiple Facebook pages and homes.mil to find our perfect home for the next three years.
I eventually stumbled upon Rent Rota, a "runner" who helps military families and landlords connect here in Rota and the surrounding neighborhoods. After talking with this runner, she offered to meet me outside the Rota Gate to tour two places the following morning! And the house-search begins!
Wednesday morning, I met the runner and toured the first townhouse. It was located in Rota and had recently been renovated. While it was in our desired neighborhood and I liked everything inside, there was no yard. The runner said the landlord was willing to add artificial turf to the patio, but I knew that wouldn't work. I want our dogs to have a real grass yard for the first time in their life!
The second house was in Puerto and a 5-minute drive from the back gate. We would have to drive about 8 minutes to the beach, but this place had a separate guest house and a jacuzzi! While that was enticing, the stoves and hot water (in both the main house and guest house) were powered by gas...and I knew I didn't want to deal with gas refill stations out in town. So this was another bummer.
Feeling a little down about the first runner and my housing options, I continued to search for a home. On Thursday, June 1, I met up with another runner, Cindy, who took me to see three more places. I was more direct about our wants:
pet-friendly with two 60 lbs dogs
Real Grass yard (no artificial turf)
Minimum 3 bed/2 bath
Non-smoking
Not furnished
Prefer townhouse or house
Within walking distance to the beach & restaurants. If not within walking distance to the beach we would like a pool.
Ideally, we would like to be within a 10 min drive to base
And Cindy delivered. Here are the 3 places she took me to see:
The first house was in Puerto, a 5-minute walk to the beach AND it had a pool! The outdoor space was amazing and I knew immediately the pups would love it. The inside was a little dated and the kitchen was small, but I could definitely see myself here. Poolside with two pups soaking in the rays. Oh yeah, that yard was a DREAM.
The next place was further inland in Puerto and had an amazing yard and a pretty large pool! Reynolds would have loved the huge space to run! While also a 5-minute drive to the base, this place was an 8-minute drive to the beach and it used gas to power the radiators in each room. That's gonna be a no for me. Can you say fire hazard with dogs?! So I quickly forgot about the dreamy yard because there's no way I'm trusting myself with radiators.
But the third house we toured was THE ONE!
Located in downtown Rota, a 3-minute walk to the beach and a 20-minute walk to the front gate (3-minute drive) I was in love with the location. As the gate opened, I gasped at the yard- while in downtown Rota, which is notorious for apartments and concrete, this place has a small yard with awesome grass for our babies! I immediately picture throwing ball with Hugo down the stretch of grass!
In addition to the covered, gated parking spot, this place has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and (my favorite spot) a rooftop terrace that I'm already imagining filled with potted veggies and plants! It's perfect.
I tell the runner to give me a few hours to talk with B, but that I'm pretty sure this place is the one for us.
Knowing this was THE place, I went ahead and scheduled a meeting with the runner and landlord for the next morning. Then at 1 am, Bryan called and said he got my pictures and said it looked great! I told him I already agreed to sign for it, so at least he trusted me to find our dream place!
I met back up with Cindy and Julia, my future landlord, to sign the Promissory Note on Friday morning. After turning this form into the housing office, our house was removed from the homes.mil site and the inspections begin!
The inspection was scheduled for two weeks later...so my patience continues to be tested.
With a home in the works, my focus was now on finding a car!
Back to Facebook groups and Facebook Marketplace I went.
On Sunday, June 4, I met with a Spanish Used Car Retailer, Rafael, to see a Mini Cooper he had just received! After seeing the initial photos, I was really excited...but my excitement soon dwindled when I saw all the knicks, dents and broken tail lights. Realizing this two-door car wouldn't fit a large suitcase in the trunk, let alone two dogs in the "backseat," I knew I had to find something larger.
Finding an automatic used car in Rota was proving a big challenge. Most cars are manual, and most people I know either knew how to drive manual when they arrived or they taught themselves when they got here.
After driving on the "wrong side of the road" for two years in Japan, I knew I was already at a disadvantage and I wasn't about to throw on learning stick-shift to my driving stresses, so back to the drawing board I went.
Monday, June 5, I met with a local Spanish guy selling a 2010 Acura.
Automatic ✅
7 seater ✅
Spacious trunk ✅
Ran well ✅
ITV (Spanish inspection) renewed just a few days ago ✅
Backup camera ✅
Bluetooth ✅
Other than a few scrapes and dents, this car ran good and was, by far, the nicest automatic I had seen listed. After many negotiations with the seller and talks with my Dad, Jennifer and Bryan (over email), I agreed to buy this car.
This sounds easy, but I have to wait for the NIE and a Spanish driver's license, so I sent the seller a deposit and am still waiting to officially get the car. But hey, it's *almost* done!
Now, it seems like everything is moving and things are going- which they are- but dang! The Spanish work slowly! There's no rush for anything and "manana" may *technically* mean tomorrow, but in reality, it means "sometime in the near-ish future."
With my first week in Spain over, I feel a sense of accomplishment- even if I am waiting on papers to finalize some of my to-do list!
The journey is only beginning! Well, the Spain-version at least!
--Katie
Great write up. House looks great Hope it moves quickliy.