First Week in Valencia

My year abroad officially began on the 2nd September 2014 at 2:00am and after a last goodbye to my cats, I loaded my Uncles car with my belongings packed up into two suitcases and headed for the airport. At this point it suddenly became real that I wasn't going to be returning home in a couple of weeks and my excitement quickly turned to nerves. Luckily for me my mum was coming out for a week to help me get settled and we stayed in a hotel in Picanya which we finally arrived at after a 2 hours plane journey to Alicante, followed by a bus to the train station, a train to Valencia, the metro to Paiporta and finally a 15 minute walk. It's safe to say that without the hotel's pool, we probably would have overheated.

The following day we headed to pick the keys up for my room which I found on www.happyforeignersworld.com before I flew out here. We moved all my stuff in to my temporary home which I will be sharing with three other girls who don't come here until later in the month.  Except the incidents of my key not working and having to go back to the office for a replacement, everything went ok. 

My Room

My Room 

View out of my window 

The following day was going to be spent trying to get my NIE number but after going to the wrong office with nobody speaking English in order to get  the form I need to then go to the correct police office and be told there would be a 3 hour wait, I couldn't cope and begged my mum to go back to the hotel. Although thanks to a lovely German girl who checked my form and told me which bits I'd missed and how the process works, I now have everything I need for when I attempt it again in the next few days.

After that I decided that I just wanted to spend some time with my mum without having to run around finding different places so we headed to the beach which turns out is only about half an hour from where I am staying and 3.90 euros return. We spent a lovely day at La Playa de Las Arenas which had the warmest sea that I have ever been in.

The final day was spent around the pool in the hotel and on the Monday morning it was time to say goodbye, which was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. People tell you that it will be the best year of your life and you will have new and amazing opportunities and friends but they don't tell you how hard it is to actually leave. I'm currently sat on my bed whilst my mum is in Alicante airport and it still doesn't feel real that i'm not going to see my family or my cats until the end of November when I go home for the weekend.