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Up, up and away! September 23, 2007

Posted by Emily in blog, moving, Spain.
1 comment so far

This is my last night in Missoula. The last weeks have been a total blur of packing, a garage sale, moving things to Great Falls, visa drama, nicer meals than normal, and lots of goodbyes. I’d love to write a thoughtful reflection on my past years here, how I’ve grown, what I’ve learned, things like that, but I’m too busy stepping on the scale, off the scale, on the scale holding one of my bags, and then praying I’m under the limit. It will be a close one. Apparently Lufthansa has different restrictions than their United partner? Doesn’t sound like the smoothest partnership to me. I’m a touch concerned.

It’ll be a late night of trying to clear out the last goods, put things in the garage, address every last minute detail I’ve thus far forgotten. I have quite a bit left to do, despite my best intentions.

Leaving tomorrow at lunchtime. Should be in Córdoba about 24 hours later–will let you know when I am all settled. Wish me luck!

one magic word: “enroute” September 13, 2007

Posted by Emily in Uncategorized.
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As anyone who’s been keeping up on me knows, I’ve become borderline loca about checking www.usps.com for my visa status.  One might say it’s kept me up nights, but that wouldn’t entirely encapsulate this obsession. More accurately, my concentration in most aspects of life has suffered, not unlike a junkie needing a hit. It’s always there, always taunting me. It’s ever so tempting, even when it’s mostly disappointing.

The visa saga is intense and long-lived. All I really can say about it is that I called last Thursday. They said to call back in a week or two (um, I leave in less than two…?) This morning, I try again. 4 times. Brusco dude on the other end of the line keeps transferring me to unmanned/disconnected/voicemail-full extensions, thinking he’s getting rid of me. But I’m too clever/persistent for that mumbo jumbo. By call number 4, he tells me my visa has not yet been approved IN SPAIN. Minor breakdown, have a few tense words in Spanish with said hombre, try calling my pal Javier at the L.A. education office, who says his hands are tied. He refers to the process as “long, hard, a little bit magical and a little bit mystical.” Looking into changing my flights. The euro has hit an all-time high, says The New York Times. I’m in trouble.

Then tonight, in a moment of masochism, I decide to take a hit and check out the aforementioned USPS site. My visa is ENROUTE. This morning, not approved in Spain. By the consulate’s closing at 2 p.m. they’d received the thumbs up, printed up a visa sticker, affixed it in el pasaporte, and mailed it in the envelope I provided. Hell yes.

This adventure is actually happening.  More soon. This means I really do have to get all of this stuff done prior to the 24th..things that make you go hmm…