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Okay, so from here on out whenever I write it’s going to be in color. Catie gets the boring black because she writes all the time and it should be a celebration of color when I write.
So, as to go along with the title of this entry, my visa got screwed up. A good tip for all you first time visa-getters out there, check the validity date on your visa before you do the happy dance. Because I was quite excited about finally getting my visa that it wasn’t until a few days later I noticed that it would become invalid in December…despite the fact that I am staying there until June. That’s a problem.
An even bigger problem is trying to find a number for the British Consulate in order to fix things. Apparently they REALLY don’t want you calling with a problem because it was extremely difficult to find an actual number that led to a real person. And when I finally did, I found out it was going to charge me 3 dollars a minute in order to fix a problem that wasn’t my fault. So, I put my detective skills to good use and called the number that was randomly put on my credit card receipt from the previous return fee of my visa. Complicated? Yes. But I finally got a real person and the problem was solved.
Moral of the story kids, check the visa validity date. 
Now I just hope I get my passport back before I leave…
Much love,
Abby
29 Days.
That is an incredible number.
We have reached that point where it’s still too far away but we still have too much to do to be completely comfortable.
The student visa situation stands thus: They are reviewing my application, and Abby’s has already been confirmed. After a terrifying three-day wait in which I went through all sorts of panic because I thought something horrid had happened to my application, they finally got it and verified it with me through email. I’ve yet to send the return fax with credit card information for return postage, but I’ll take care of that first thing tomorrow at the office, and if everything works out, I should have my visa by the end of next week.
I’m a tiny bit worried as apparently when they say “send copies” they don’t mean “photocopies”…they mean “official copies”. Note this for future reference. However, apparently the farther away from a Tier I Visa (which is like, moving there forever with your wife and 8 kids) the less stringent they are. So, hopefully there won’t be a hold up.
For the record, www.uk-yankee.com is an AMAZING resource for anyone thinking of studying abroad. They’ve got a really solid community and they are great with answering questions and such. Also, the two most valuable pages I’ve read so far: “What You Wish You Would Have Brought” and “What You Didn’t Need To Bring”. Granted, some of the discussion revolves around cooking pans, cars, sofas and the like, but packing-wise (ugh) it’s at least given us some ideas.
Interesting fact: Apparently they don’t sell ziplock bags or gel deodorant over there.
This will be updated when i have some frame of reference, but we’ll see what happens.
In other news no one cares about but me, I finally found my Italy dress.
Other than that, daily life is becoming a routine of making lists, accomplishing small goals and getting ready for the big day.And packing. Sweet lord, packing may be the death of us all. 100 pounds. That’s all we get. Well, 100 pounds and our carry-on, but still. I’m a bit of a clotheshorse as well, so hopefully I can work out some sort of happy medium. Worse comes to worse, I’ll just live in my hoodies. I’m cool with being “that kid with the hoody”.
Ah well. Stay tuned for the saga of packing and more updates as the countdown continues.
29 days….It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.
You know that feeling you get when you get done with a huge assignment or finish taking your last final?
Imagine that, times 12. That is the feeling of sending off your visa for approval from the Brittish Consulate–pure, unadulterated relief. This is the last big step. When I went to the post office, I was actually nervous–I walked the 6 blocks from the court house to the post office with a death grip on the envelope, like some derranged manilla envelope fetishist was going to come up out of nowhere and steal it.
Applying for your visa is no easy task. There’s a rediculous amount of questions, and some of them are—unclear–to say the least. Also, the list of documents you need to include with your application is, frankly, quite confusing, especially because the websites are contradictory. But for anyone who may be interested, here is what we included with our applications.
- Our actual passports. This was the most confusing, but after a little research it turns out they put the actual visa IN your passport, so they want the legit thing. I chose to send mine certified mail, just in case something were to happen, which ran me about 7.00 for the entire envelope and postage.
- The printed application form (you fill it out online and then you have to print it AND SIGN IT!) There is an application fee of $208.00 USD. Yikes.
- 2 passport pictures from Walgreens (8. 65 with tax)
- The printed and stamped Biometrics form (the one they give you at the fingerprint place)
- Our acceptance letter from Truman State saying we were accepted into the CCIS program.
- The official acceptance letter from Edge Hill that we are supposed to bring with us to England.
- The letter explaining our course selection process.
- 3 months of bank statements
- Our high school diplomas
- I included my old passport as well, but they said you can just send a photocopy if nessessary.
- I also put in a little cover letter that basically was like “please give me a visa. love, catie”.
So, that’s it, really. If you’re keeping score at home, a Visa application will run you about 223.65, and that’s not counting the money spent for our trip up to Chicago, the fee to get our US passport, and the sleep lost trying to figure out all this damn paperwork.
After a week of running around trying to get everything in the proper order, we sent them off. It’s such a relief, but there is also this tiny part of me that is terrified that I didn’t fill out something correctly or I forgot to send something. They don’t have to say yes…but I know why I’m thinking like this. It’s because nothing this amazing has ever happened to me before. It’s too perfect. I’m going to England, for a year, to study and learn and travel with my best friend. And I’m going to get to write about all of it. It’s pretty much the most exciting feeling–ever. So the pessimist in me keeps thinking there has to be some sort of stumbling block, but honestly, I don’t see it happening. We have gotten so much help from the people at Edge Hill, especially Jason Keeling, the American liason for the school, done so much research and spent so much time preparing that I really feel like we are FINALLY, actually and truly good to go.
The best way I can explain all of this is by relating this conversation that occured between myself and the fine postal service worker at the post office when I was purchasing the certified mail certificate.
Postal Worker: “Okay, hun, so did you want insurance with that? Or just the certified mail?”
Catie: “Well, I’m not sure if there’s really anything you can insure in it.”
Postal Worker: “Well, if you’d like, I can look up values for anything you might have sent” ..clicky click click clicks on the computer..”Okay, so what are you sending today?”
Catie: (long pause). “My future”.
42 Days.
