Getting a Visa is NOT fun

Time is going insanely fast now. In just a week from now I'll be on a plane, I will have said goodbye to all my friends and it won't be untill August 2010 that I will see them again. The closer it gets the more nervous I get about the whole thing. What if things don't work out? What if I forget something really important? What if I don't like it there at all? On the other side I'm absolutely sure everything is going to be fine. My mom and friends have all been super supportive and this will probably be one of the best years of my life.

Out of all the preperation activities I've done so far, getting a Visa was definatly the most horrible. I was so nervous about forgetting some important piece of documentation and not getting my Visa, I barely slept 4 hours that night. When I arrived the whole building was surrounded by black gates and was totally diffirent from what I expected. First I had to wait at least 20 minutes to enter through the gates and then you had to let security check your bags for electronics and things that could be considered weapons before you could proceed. I had to take a sip from my own water bottle to make sure the water wasn't poissened or something. The very unfriendly guy at security spoke American but as he didn't articulate at all I had a hard time understanding him. Apparently what I heared as "Do you have an appointment?", accualy was "Do you have a cellphone on you?". My "Yes" ofcourse then was the wrong answer and the guy got really mad at me. Even after I explained I misheared him he kept looking at me very angry. After first security came another line and after that another security point and another metal detector. Finally I could go and sit in a little room, that looked very old furnitured and was obviously meant for less people then that were accualy in it. Even in this room the windows were three-double protected with bars and other things. After a while my number came up on the screen and I was called to pay for Visa, give fingerprints and hand over some documents that they asked for. I was asked to go sit again and wait for my name to be called. Again, the person calling the names spoke very unclearly and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, scared of missing my call. The woman sitting next to me accualy had her number pop up on the screen but didn't react in time because she was just grabbing something from her purse. Just 10 seconds later the next number got called, and even though the next lady very nicely pointed out there was someone before her, the person at the desk wouldn't hear of it and just said the woman missed her shot, too bad.. I don't know if she ever got her turn again because shortly there after I heared my name being called and I could proceed to the last desk, where a finally nice men asked me how I was and then ran some basic "Where are you going?","How long are you staying?" and "What will you be doing there?"questions by me. In total the entire conversation took about 2 or 3 minutes but from arrival at the gate to leaving was a small 2 hours. The whole experience was very weird and nervewrecking, I didn't really understand it was such a big deal and that it required this much security messurements. I haven't checked if I accualy got my Visa yet, because it has been send to my old adress, but I'm going by there today or tomorrow.

So, continueing on that last line, I moved back in with my mum. One hard day of work and we got all of my stuff shipped over to my old room here. It feels a bit weird being back, because I don't really consider it home anymore, but it's nice to spend some extra time with my mom before I leave. Also my three cats are here and it's nice to have them around again.

As for fun stuff I've been doing I finally went to Walibi World for the first time, I've been going out with friends a lot, yesterday I played golf, I watched all the Lord of the Rings films with my mum and I spended a rediculous armount of time behind my computer watching downloaded series. I'm having fun planning my going-away party, which will be next saturday, the 1st of August. I was afraid I couldn't invite a lot of people because my mum's house just isn't that big, but lucky for me a friend offered I could possibly use her house. She has a garden and no neighboors, which is just a much better setting. I'm going by her house today to see how big it is. The party is going to be a costume party with the dress-up theme; Stereotype. Everybody HAS to come in costumes and I've already heared my friends with some great ideas. Only still got my own outfit to worry about now..

I'll talk to you later, I guess my next blog will be from America, but it could be a while before I get internet on my laptop (or maybe I'll get it right away).
Thanks for reading, and.. to the people I invited; hope to see you at the party!