First things first...San Francisco

I got an e-mail version of my official acceptance letter today. I know it’s only been four days since I was offered a position with the Cultural Ambassadors program, but I’ve been so anxious to get this letter. I can’t apply for a visa or start to get anything together without it. So, finally, I have that. The next step was to get a visa appointment at the Spanish consulate in San Francisco. I have to actually go down to San Fran and meet with them to apply for my visa, but luckily they are willing to mail the visa back to me so I don’t have to fly down twice. It seems a little ridiculous that I have to fly down to San Francisco for a half hour appointment, but oh well.

I have Monday off from work so I was really hoping to get an appointment that day. That led to one of my first freak-out moments. Things were a little crazy at work, and the enormity of things that I have to get done before I leave started to hit me. Then, when I logged onto the Spanish consulate website to make a visa appointment it said their first available appointment wasn’t going to be until October 3rd. Orientation for my program is October 1st. All the language assistants are supposed to be there by that date. Granted, because I was offered the position so late it is impossible to get a visa and be over there in time. The office and Cultural Ambassadors program know that. Deep down *I* know that. However the idea that I couldn’t even get a visa *appointment* for another week (in addition to the 3-4 weeks it takes to process the visa application) really disappointed me. I’m ready and raring to go and was going to be at a total stand-still for another week while all the other language assistants were already over there. I didn’t get my degree in teaching so I really wanted to be present at orientation and soak up any information and guidance they could offer me. Luckily for me I checked the consulate website again later that day and someone had cancelled their appointment on Monday! Thank you God! So, Monday I head to San Francisco.