FINALLY!!

Hey, yo! So I tried posting this last night, but my internet wasn't wanting to work with me. What's important is that I have it up now! Enjoy.

After waiting for more than three months, I finally recieved a phone call today that my visa is ready!! Yes, you read that correctly! MY VISA IS READY! On Sunday, my mom and I are driving to Chicago and on Monday I will be picking up my visa from the consulate! YES!!

I already have my itinerary and my plane ticket has been purchased! Unless there are last-minute changes, I will depart on WEDNESDAY morning, October 5th, from Des Moines. From there I will go to Chicago, then to Madrid, and finally, to Malaga. In Malaga, it will be October 6th, 10:30 a.m. when I arrive. From there, it is about an hour drive to my home in Estepona.

So, for nearly a year now, I have been fundraising/working in order to raise enough funds to do youth exchange. The majority of the cost of RYE is the plane ticket, which is usually estimated to be $3,000 (The total cost of RYE is usually estimated to be $5,000). The reason it is so expensive is because it has to be open-ended, meaning you can return, basically, at anytime. So, you can imagine how happy I was when my plane ticket costed $2,191.37 USD! That's what I'm talking about! Roundtrip to Europe and back! Matthew's visa was also approved and he will be picking it up on Monday as well. I'm hoping we can fly together, but at this point I just don't know. I may be flying by myself otherwise, which is a little freaky. Manageable, but freaky. (Shout-out to Anna from Newton - Unaccompanied Minors, baby! Minus the Christmas part . . .)

Tonight was a home football game in good ol' Newtonia, so I went and was able to say hi/bye to many people. It was so strange thinking that I won't see most of them until next summer! So many crazy emotions, but I couldn't have asked for a better last-Friday-night-in-America-until-next-summer! I feel so blessed to have people I'm going to miss. I'm sure I'll be cramming in as much time as I can to spend with friends and family during the next few days.

Well, I don't know where I'll be typying my next post . . . Maybe in Iowa? Maybe in Spain? Or in an airport? Easy for you - all you have to do is read on!

Until later,

Josie

Word of the day: Unpredictable.

What can I say? My exchange has been unpredictable lately.

If you're an exchange student, then you already know that one email can make all the difference in your day, week, exchange year. I check my my email daily, probably about ten times daily. This has been going on since about February. I know it probably seems obsessive, and I even considered writing a blog post about "the obsessed exchange student." But truth be told, I think every exchange student would fall into that category. We're aching to know more information. From, what city am I going to? to Who are my host families? and so on. Right now, though, I need to know when my visa is ready and when I can go.

Within the past four days, I have received three significant emails. In summary . . .

1. August 22
My district's outbound coordinator contacts the travel agent at It's Your World Travel that is organizing Matthew's and my exchange. We have no idea what the status of our permission to apply for a visa is, or if our visa is being processed yet. Our outbound coordinator believes we have a departure date of September 2nd(one week from tomorrow).

I was so happy to have a departure date, even if it was only tentative! I still had no idea how my visa was doing though.

2. Today, 12:55 AM
The travel agent finally gives us an update on the status of our visas. The Spanish government still hasn't issued the approvals to apply for a visa. Both consulates of Spain in the US, in Chicago and San Francisco, will not re-accept our passport and documents without a prior approval issued by the Spanish home government in Madrid. She gives us a list of fourteen students who are going through the same thing. She seems doubtful that we will make the September 9-11 orientation. There is nothing we can do right now - everything on our end has been completed.

I'm upset. I'm glad that the travel agent bothered to keep us in the loop of our own exchanges though. I go to sleep frustrated and exhausted.

3. Today, 6:58 AM
The Long Term Coordinator  in Spain informs all of the Spain 2011-2012 inbounds that the orientation has been moved to the 22nd - 24th of September.

Many people are having troubles with their visa. I'm glad I'm not alone, but still disappointed about everything in general. At least orientation isn't so early. I'll probably be able to make it.


I feel stuck right now, but I'll just have to go with the flow I guess. School started yesterday, and it is so strange being home! I also don't have work anymore, because my last day was Sunday. I put in my last day since everything is so unpredictable; I didn't want to all of a sudden find out that I'm leaving in a few days and leave Hy-Vee hanging. Now I wish I would've stayed another week or two. At home . . . I've started packing, I've been reading, I've been watching cheesy morning shows.

Most of the outbounds from my district are in their host countries already. I thoroughly enjoy stalking them on Facebook and on their blogs. It's fun, but sad at the same time, because I wish that I could be one telling you guys about my exchange in Spain right now, rather than telling you about my waiting for it. However, I'm glad I'm not alone. It's so nice to have Matt to talk to about everything, since we're going through the same thing. Hopefully we can be talking about out lives in Spain soon, maybe even in Spanish.

I almost forgot to tell you . . . I got my braces off two days ago! Even orthodontia cannot stand between me and Spain! I love how my teeth turned out and I find myself smiling all day. Even though I'm in quite a sad state right now with all of the visa complications, it's hard to feel upset for too long because I am constantly smiling! Have you ever tried to be sad while smiling? It is difficult, my friend. I couldn't have got my braces off at a better time!



Cliché "I just got my braces off" Photo