Can I have a Visa Appointment with some Drama on the Side?

Go Butler Bulldogs? 

     On Tuesday, Sibley and I reunited to head to Miami for our visa appointment at the Spanish Consulate. We had planned for Sibley to meet at my house, and just before she left, she called with some news of her own. After asking for another admission letter from Alcala that would include her new passport number, she had only thought to check it for the correct number. However, upon checking her papers she realized that it read, “Sibley Brown, of ">Butler University>, has been accepted in the program.” What?! We didn't really know anything about Butler University, but we were sure of one thing: Sibley doesn't attend school there. Little did we know, that wouldn't be the biggest issue.

     Sibley made it to my house, carrying with her plenty of paperwork proving that she attended UCF, and we went on to Fort Lauderdale and then Miami in the morning. Faced with traffic, we still made it to the Consulate with twenty minutes to spare. I was extremely excited, wanting to take pictures of everything and put it down as a fun and smooth experience. We got to the waiting area, sat down, and waited. The excitement continued to grow, a wide smile never leaving my face. I kept watching the screen, waiting for my number to appear. Finally, I was just one number away.

     Then, like a reaction to a sudden clap of thunder, shock and and fright shuddered through me. I realized with a sickening pit in my stomach that I didn’t have my passport. I knew with absolute certainty that somehow, after my check, double check, and triple check, I had missed one of the most important parts of the whole visa application process. The excitement vanished and was replaced with panic. And just then, my number appeared and it was time to face it. I hurried into the room, fright evident on my face. I quickly explained the situation to the woman at the desk and begged for a solution. She listened, and with the patience of someone who deals with similar problems every day, she told me, “Don’t worry. Don’t worry. It will be okay. You can send it by post. Don’t worry.” I breathed a sigh of relief and she looked over the rest of my documents. These, I knew, should be okay.

     Yet, that was not all. We had thought that by showing that the program provided health insurance, and that we were indeed accepted into the program, that we would have sufficiently proved our coverage. However, we found out that we need something that clearly states our name and the fact that we will be covered. That shouldn’t be very difficult to obtain. We have already emailed Alcalá and asked for the appropriate documents.

     So, in the end, after my meticulous organization, I still managed to forget a huge part of the application. During the preparation process, both Sibley and I have had our fair share of passport, so I think we are due for a break, haha.