Long Time, No See

Sorry for the lack of blogging! I’ve settled down with the excitement and I’m completely comfortable in Madrid. I really feel at home. Things have been flowing very smoothly, and this is our first “full” week of work without any fiestas.

I remember mentioning the box of toiletries I had mailed from the US in a previous post. Well…I received it today (almost a month later). But thanks to my host family, I was able to at least learn what was going on, where it could be, and how to retrieve it. Since I listed the value at $150 (a value more than 45 euros), they were holding it until someone came to pick up the package and pay 3% of the value for duties and taxes…even though it was only toiletries. Luckily, my host mom was able to pick it up for me without paying anything! (I know…they’re great!)

When I opened the box, I was able to release a huge sigh. Now, I have all my hair care products from home (which I can function without), my lotions, my soap, mouthwash, and my PUMPS! (Now I can really party…)  

Advice, if mailing items from the US to Spain (maybe any foreign country), don’t put a large value if you don’t have to. Make sure you request a delivery confirmation, and don’t expect to find a USPS location in Spain. Their local mail carriers is called “Correos”, but I have seen UPS trucks around, so that’s good to know.