European travel is capped at 90 days for US citizens who have not obtained an extended visa. I used 88/90 days while I traveled in Italy, France, Monaco and Croatia throughout the summer. NALCAP became the perfect way to obtain a visa for Spain, as they offer student visas in exchange for 16 hours working as an English language assistant.

Heading back to Ohio was obviously bittersweet, I stayed until my tourist visa had only 48 hours of validity left and wished it could have been longer. I was motivated to return to get my ducks in a row for my Spanish visa appointment, which will allow me to stay for a full year, so of course the trip back was worth it.

Ciao! Here’s the debrief on my second month in Italy (bonding with my host family, preparing for my visa appointment, and trips to Florence, Antibes, and Cinque Terre). 🫡

My first month in Italy has been spent getting to know my host family, other au pairs, and how to find flow in a new country. Even seemingly small tasks become more challenging when you face language barriers, narrow, winding roads up intense hills, and unique cultural differences. 

The first time I cried from joy was my first night in my new apartment space, cuddling with Dot, overwhelmed with gratitude. The first time I cried from negative overwhelm was in my tiny car (a bright orange Honda Jazz with quite a few scuffs from au pairs before my time) in the grocery store parking lot.