sunday afternoon i took the bus to DC so i could show up at the australian embassy bright and early monday morning and beg for my visa. the forms claim it takes up to 3 weeks to get your visa and the price to fedex the forms was the same as the bus ticket (really… $42.50 for the ticket and fedex overnite priority was like $41). i stayed with a friend, we went out drinking sunday & it got a little messy but i was still ready to walk out the door at 815am to get there by 9. since i was about to hand them a form where they could charge the fees, i figured i’d check and make sure everything was fine with the card. good i did because my checks hadn’t cleared yet. the charge would have been rejected. so at 830am i run ouf of an apartment in a town i don’t know to find a bank & a post office (money order). not a good way to start the morning (but then neither was the pounding in my head). luckily i found both & made it to the embassy at 930 (they opened at 9). the woman at the counter asks when i want this and i start my story re: my supposed to be there tomorrow n going to LA & such. i ask if i can wait. she says there’s several people waiting but if i could come back in the morning it would be ready. um, what? take 1 day?! um, YES! she looked over all my paperwork, said everything seemed fine & said come back any time in the am.
this morning i got there about 10am. stood in line for a while and then told this other woman that i had stuff to pick up. she reaches in a drawer right next to her, flips thru some passports and hands mine over. HOLY FUCK. there’s a visa in there!!!!!!!
wow. now it’s real. or rather it still doesnt feel real.
since i was in DC, i also met my coordinator, krista @ idp. we’ve been talking for months so it was great to meet her.
im still in shock even though i’ve now booked my flight and i have to finish packing tomorrow.