7 December 2025

Greetings from Gran Canaria.

I’m looking forward to seeing many friends and loved ones starting this week in Denver.

Here’s a quick recap of the last week or two.

Thanksgiving was very quiet. My Spanish school hosted a Thanksgiving “dinner” / party. There were just a few Americans there. Most were from around the world.

Friday was my last day of Spanish classes (for now). Because I’m not certain when I’ll return, it felt very much like a tearful farewell. I’ve really loved my classes, teachers, and fellow students.

Now, on to the future…whatever that may mean.

But first, a quiet weekend in the sun.

Vicente and I planned this trip back in July. Monday is a national holiday in Spain. So we found cheap flights and a lovely resort for the weekend.

We arrived late Friday night. We spent Saturday at the beach and Sunday by the resort pool. We’ll fly home Monday.

Tuesday morning, I leave early from Valencia and fly to Barcelona, from Barcelona to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia to Denver. The plan is to be in the US for almost six weeks.

I wish there was good news on my visa appointment in Los Angeles. I’ve literally been looking online several times a day, every day, since the middle of October.

The website always tells me that no appointments are currently available- and that I should keep trying. When I called, they assured me that more appointments are always being added. But, I’ve never been able to find one.

My lawyer assures me that there are other ways of navigating the process if I’m not able to get an appointment. But, if I’m not mistaken, I believe that without making the application in person in LA before Dec 31, I will lose all of my time as a student towards my residency requirements. I’ll be actually starting from scratch. That means five full more years before I can apply for permanent residency in Spain.

My plan is to be here, whatever happens. But I remain open. One thing I’ve learned in life is that God laughs when we make plans.

If we haven’t make plans to connect yet when I’m in the US, please reach out by Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or email. Thanks to everyone who has been willing to make plans so much in advance. I can’t wait to see you.