So much paper!

I am just about done filling out all the forms for my visa application. Of course, I finally printed out the longstay visa application form, started filling it out, and promptly got my zip code wrong in black ink. I don't have whiteout.

Hopefully the visa will go through without a hitch. It took me from at least the beginning of October until two days ago to verify that I could send in my application by mail instead of making an appointment in DC. I thought I was going to be able to go to the New York consulate, which is no trouble since I could just take the train in with my mom. Not so. All PA residents have to go to the DC consulate.

But as long as the mailed-in application goes through it'll be good. I just really don't want to go down to DC. I'd have to take the train, then a bus, and even then it would be a 45 minute walk to the embassy (ridiculous). So I'm gathering all my materials, passport, visa app, financial guarentee from the parents, the Campus France proof of registration. And I'll send it out before Thanksgiving. Yay! And with plenty of time to spare, if it really only takes 2 to 3 weeks processing time.

I finally got my plane ticket, too. For any college kids looking to travel internationally, www.studentuniverse.com is the best site I've found. STAtravel.com is also good, but I had a little bit of trouble with them last summer. I connected to Charles De Gaulle via Heathrow and the booking apparently didn't provide for my luggage to just be transferred by the flight crew to the plane from Heathrow. So I had to claim my luggage in London, then take the bus to another terminal, then check it again. Then British Airways lost it and I didn't get it until they delivered it to the hotel in Paris the next morning. Hopefully I can avoid that happening this time. And I fly through Munich, which will be a new experience. I've never been to Germany before. Well, I've never been to a lot of places.

Oh, here is a link for the slideshow of my summer I made for my parents. Enjoy!


Maggie B.