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UPDATE: THIS POST WAS WRITTEN AWHILE AGO. I AM ONLY POSTING IT IN THE CHANCE THAT IT COULD HELP SOMEONE ELSE WITH VISA ISSUES THEY MAT BE HAVING. I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED MY VISA TO WORK IN ITALY.
By the time I actually publish this post, HOPEFULLY my problems with my visa application will be behind me. But I need to write about it now.
If someone were to ask me to describe the Italian Bureaucracy in one word I would immediately respond with "Frustrating". I understand that there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when applying for a visa. I even understand that the application process will include a lot of paperwork.
But I just wish that there is a clear source of information available to me BEFORE I actually go to apply for it.
When I went, I naively thought that I had all of my paperwork together and in order. How wrong I was. Some of my paperwork was wrong, some of it needed specific information from a third party, and apparently my bank statement just did not have enough money. Now, if I had known about all of this beforehand, I could have easily taken care of it before making the trek to Detroit to actually apply. And THEN, when I fax them the corrected paperwork I get no response for about two weeks - where they email met that I am missing a VITAL piece of the paperwork needed for the visa. Now I have to scramble to get it together and email it to them. But I'm freaking out because visa processing can take anywhere between one and three weeks to process. I have just three weeks until my flight to Italy leaves. And the Consulate has my passport.
If I were to actually speak this to someone, I would probably have been holding my breath while saying it all.
I think I am totally justified in my near constant panic attacks right now.
I don't know what I'm going to do if all of this doesn't work out. I have no backup plan. Moving to Italy is all I've ever wanted. Literally. I've been in love with the country since the age of three. I saw a map of the country and I was a goner. I mean, the country is the shape of a boot - what three year old wouldn't love that?
I also don't want to let the family down. I made a commitment to be their au pair, and I would just feel horrible if I couldn't fulfill that commitment because of a lapse in paperwork. The possibility of my visa application getting denied... It breaks my heart just thinking about it. I have worked so hard for this. All of my work from the start of high school has led to me eventually moving abroad. I hate feeling this out of control. I want to be able to breathe freely again.
What I'm Listening To:
~ (I Just) Died in Your Arms - Cutting Crew
~ Doing Fine (Without You) - Pixie Lott
~ I Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick
~ I Hate Myself for Loving You - Joan Jett
~ I'm In - Keith Urban
~ On Your Porch - The Format
~ Dakota - Stereophonics
~ All Fired Up - The Saturdays