Finances and other lighter topics ;-)

Before

After!

As my countdown is getting and I am slowly getting most of the things done, it's been a lot more relaxing. Something a friend suggested on her blog was to try space bags in order to save space. I'll admit, they definitely cut down the space by about 50%, but I'm starting to get nervous that 2 bags, a carry-on suitcase with a backpack as my "purse" and one shipped box will cut it. I think I'm going to have to send another box, but hopefully after putting everything in the space bags, it'll work out! Here are some funny before and after pictures...I may just have too much to be honest.

Still doesn't seem like enough room!

I am making sure to have a good time as well with close friends and family. It has been so nice to have a lot of free time off between finishing up with AmeriCorps and heading out to Spain. It’s just enough time to get what I need to get done, done in a way that I feel completely satisfied, but not enough time to get bored or antsy. I will admit the money situation is always difficult. As an AmeriCorps member, I don’t think I will surprise anyone in saying I didn’t make much money. Only after tutoring Spanish part time did I manage to save up $500 throughout the year that has helped greatly this last month, but even without rent or anything like that, I’ve still had to constantly watch my spending. I am currently working for my mom, doing chores around the house, and helping my dad organize my grandpa’s huge coin collection, but it’s been rough. Since I will be getting FAFSA loans when I am in Spain, I know it’s temporary yet it still is hard to balance at times. Moreover, I am attempting to sell my beloved Elga, or my car. It’s a Red 2001 VW Beetle. She is manual or stick shift, has about 126,000 miles on her, but runs amazingly well with nothing wrong with her engine, and averages about 26 mpg from my estimates. I’m asking for $3,000 so please spread the word amongst family and friends. If anyone is interested in her, please feel free to contact me in the comments or on Facebook or really any way and I'll get you more pictures. I've only managed to put the black box over the license tag in Microsoft word so if anyone could tell me how to do that on the actual picture, I'd greatly appreciate it! I’d like to keep her for another week, but I am a realist and if someone wants her tomorrow, that’s fine, too! Hopefully with that, I’ll be able to make it to Spain with a comfortable start!

This is how I feel at times with my money!!
http://willrowhood.tumblr.com/post/59894866730 

Since I’ve had some questions about how I am going to afford my master’s program in Spain, I figured to explain that a bit for those of you who are interested. First, Universitat Jaume I is a Title IV university which means it accepts FAFSA loans just like any other program in the US. If you’d like to know whether or not an international university is a Title IV university, all you have to do is look for them on the FAFSA application online. If you can find them, it’s a Title IV university. In addition, and because I am this neurotic at times, I asked both the contact person for admissions at the university and the financial aid officer who both confirmed that I would receive FAFSA loans and that other Americans have received them throughout the years. Lastly, as the last safety net, the financial aid officer is required to write me a letter stating that I will receive loans to cover up to $2,200 per month (WAY MORE than I’ll need and more than double I made from AmeriCorps last year) during the time that I’ll be there in order to get my student visa. That covers how I’ll be able to initially afford it. Second, for the more long term of affording a program that is teaching about peace, not the most lucrative profession, the program is cheap! The tuition for one year is 2,520 € which if you times that by two and add about 435 € in fees, is about 5,475 € or $7,730 for the entire master’s program.  Here is when my AmeriCorps experience comes to save the day even though I made very little money initially. With most AmeriCorps programs, there is the Segal Educational Reward that is offered after you complete the program. For a full term program, it’s $5,550 and then for part time programs, it depends on how many hours you complete. I did a summer position that after completing 300 hours, I received $1,125 in an educational reward. In total, I am receiving $6,675. This can either be applied directly to the university to pay tuition OR it can be applied to FAFSA loans.  I am going for the latter because one) the Universitat Jaume I is not familiar with the AmeriCorps program so it would be a pain in my rear to do all of the required paperwork to just pay them directly and two) I can get more money in loans if I do loans and it’s very easy to apply the educational award to loans through the AmeriCorps website. After applying my education award, tuition will only cost me $1,055 depending on the exchange rate. I do plan on getting a small loan as a starter loan of about $10,000 just in case my tutoring English part time takes a while to make revenue, but even still, that would be the extent of my loans for a 2 year master’s program, something that is almost impossible to do in the US. Of course this is all hypothetical and there is a good chance that something will go wrong in that, but I’m confident that this program will be a good fit for what I want to do in the future, working in the public health field, but internationally focused, and a sound investment when it comes to getting a master’s degree. Lastly, considering most of you know how much I really enjoy studying, this for me will be a great experience to spend two years studying something that really interests me on the Mediterranean while hopefully increasing my odds of getting funding for a MPH/PhD in Public Health!

Dana, in her craziness, and me!

Phew, quite a lot to explain, but hopefully that’ll shed some light on the topic for those of you who are interested! Anyways, beyond all of that, the last week has been good fun! I was able to meet up with a friend of mine that I haven’t seen in more than five years which was just so surprising to me. It seems weird to think that it has been five years since I graduated High School, even weirder that it’s been a year since graduating college, but even still, it was as if five years hadn’t even went by.  Dana and I didn’t do much besides talk, eat sushi and watch a movie, but I had a great time hanging out with her and I hope another five years don’t go by until we see each other again! In addition, I had a great Labor Day weekend with my mom, dad, sister, her boyfriend and some of their friends along with FIVE dogs…We had a great time playing Left, Right, Center (a simple game with no strategy and all luck) which I won the double pot or $10! We also did a bon fire which was really fun along with some s’mores. Overall, a relaxing Labor Day weekend.

 

My dad!

Getting ready to play some games!

Indie, begging

Bon Fire!

Dana, my sister, wondering why I'm taking a picture!

My winnings from Left, Right, Center!

It’s so nice to have time to really socialize with people I care about. Between family, my friends from West Bend, friends from Madison, and elsewhere, it’s been truly great. It seems that I’m always immersed in work or school and too busy to hang out which is truthfully no excuse. I’m making a conscious effort to balance this time around with school. Of course, coursework and good grades will be very important, but I am going to make sure that I take care of myself by exercising, sleeping properly, and de-stressing; socializing both with new friends and all of my old friends along with my family on a consistent basis; and leaving life open to love interests. That last one is a bit of a doozy and I’d like to keep that one more under wraps, but we’ll see what Spain has to offer :-)

 

That is all for today! And in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night!