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Chicago with iBoy


Preparing for an international move is always a little bit of a hassle. As I tried to figure out Spanish visa rules concerning Lain, I got a little confused. It seemed like every source I looked at seemed to say something different about whether Lain needed a Spanish visa or resident permit, and if so how she could get one. So, just to make sure we got it right and that we wouldn't have to be separated and miserable, I went off to Chicago to visit the Spanish consulate.


As luck would have it, my buddy Ian Estabrook, Chicago-native, was going home for the weekend, so I tagged along with him. This turned out to be awesome for a few reasons - I stayed at his families place, his parents and brother (Undies) were really great, the weather was incredible for February, and I wasn't wandering around the Google Chicago office alone. The only negative was that food will now never be the same, because we ate at a place that was so good (Del Friscos), everything else will always be bland in comparison.

The good news was that Lain's visa situation will be super easy. She can enter the country as a tourist, no visa required, and then when I get my residency (by simply asking for it at a police station), she can get hers too since my rights as a European will extend to her, just like that. So that was great to hear. Finally, a simple immigration experience!