Part seventeen - papers!

It always seems you have to take what the embassy say with a pinch of salt, from not having to pay before your visa until the day, to in reality having to have your payment receipt to actual be allowed to get in and everything else that occurred last week that nearly sidetracked our plans. When the courier lady declared it would take at least seven to ten working days before i'd receive my papers and passport I was resigned to not getting anything till next week. Then yesterday I got a text from the couriers declaring my visa papers would be delivered tomorrow [as in today]. I was nicely shocked to say the slightest! No doubt I probably annoyed people having to have another day off work but I needed someone to be home to take the parcel, with my ID and sign for it, it's my problem so I couldn't ask my parents to do it really plus with nine working days left at work [well eight now] they'll have to get use to being a man down.

One thing I always hate about waiting in for parcels or delivery people no matter what it might be, is their lax timing for arriving, anywhere between 8am and 6pm - well that's helpful! I was expecting it to be more at the latter end of the scale but surprisingly it was here by 9.30am! Good times. They lady I had part of my interview with at the embassy told me what to do with it once i received it, you have to open it in a certain way so you don't damage or tear the inner envelope. So inside is this hugely A3 paper envelope with huge declarations how I'm not allowed to open it or pack it into my suitcase and how only immigration in Detroit airport can open it when I go through the grueling immigration questioning. Luckily they returned my passport within which they've stuck in a fancy new colourful pages (very much like the design of the American passport) with a new photograph of me, my visa details on it and when I have to get my arse into America by (April 2012). So that's it, I have my papers, I can fly and (hopefully) enter and be with my boy! I should probably be looking at flights but I keep feeling I'm running out of time for when we originally wanted me to fly (November 4th) I still need to sort my banking out and parcel up stuff to send over. Ahhhhh!

They also resent the photocopy of the guidance regarding k-1 visas and how we have to marry within 90 days of me landing - just in case you forgot while doing your application. Luckily the boy's sorting out a lot of the wedding organisation. We have an eye on a date (December 8th); venue; a place for the meal and my dress is hiding in Joe's closet. Exciting!!