Deadline

In a few days, I would have been in Madrid for 7 months, and officially unemployed for 15 months.

Summer is over in Madrid. It's not long before I will be 28. It's not long before I need to start running around figuring out how I can stay legally in Madrid for another year. At least I know now that that's what I want (well, for the moment anyway).

When you live abroad, especially with an Indian passport in Europe, you need to be extra careful as to your legal status, or you could be forever banned from the continent.

Only recently did my student resident card come through, and it's almost already time for me to reapply. Just the thought is so unsettling. Ok, I have about 3 months - but the speed with which time is flying doesn't make that long at all.

So in 3 months I need to apply to renew my legal status for a year; but I will not know if it will actually happen till perhaps a month (if I'm lucky) before I have to exit the country -- to exit legally, should my papers not come through.

So all of a sudden it's like I'm on a deadline. Gosh how I hate that word.

A deadline to start wrapping up things, as I might have to relocate back to fish knows where; but then again I might not have to leave - in which case I'm OK. But what if I do?
Super unsettling thought.

Having passed the 'half-time' mark, it's the stress of being prepared for unwanted change (leaving Spain) that has started to bother me. I have just got my feet sunk into things that I love doing, and I have already started to worry about it all being uprooted.

Yes I know I have time to figure it out, 3 months is not that short, and I really have no reason to worry - renewing a student visa isn't that difficult. But I have the nature to stress about stuff like this.

I also believe in what is meant to happen will happen, no matter what you do -- and with immigration authorities being the decision makers, much is not in my control. It's hard to really accept that though when you really want something to happen.

I love being Indian, but sometimes I think I was born the wrong nationality for doing the things I am doing now. So many legal obstacles just for having an Indian passport.

Maybe I should marry my flatmate. Lesbian marriages are legal here, and my situation would be regulated forever! (If we don't get busted for a fraudulent marriage, that is). I wonder what my parents would tell the rest of the family. Now that would be book material :)

Sigh.

I'm loving life, but am hating how quickly time is passing by.