An Exceptional Appointment

I recently received an e-mail from the Consulate, which read:

"Dear Kelly,

we have exceptionally scheduled an appointment for you on Dec. 23^rd at 9.30."

Exceptional!

Anyone going to be in the city that day? I'll buy you a cappuccino.

The Italian Consulate: A Horror Story

Jetting off to Rome for a semester sounds very romantic, but in reality the process is not quite as care-free as I would like. While most of the preparations are fun, acquiring a visa is equatable to getting a tan in the North Country. In order to apply for an Italian visa one needs to make an appointment with the Italian Consulate. Sounds straight forward. So last week I got the phone number for the consulate in New York, and gave them a call. It went something like this:

"Pronto"

"Hello, er, ciao, parla inglese?"

*click*.

Apparently I'm not blending in quite yet. I rallied my courage and called again a few minutes later. This conversation went a little better.

"Pronto"

"Ciao parla inglese?"

"Si"

"Ohthankgod I need a visa...help?"

"Call the hotline on the website."

*click*

After consulting the website I found a number for visa appointments followed by a note informing me to pay for said call using a credit card, and calls would be $2.49 a minute at all times. As much as I love giving my credit card number away over the phone, I was willing to do anything to not call this number. After consulting with our abroad office, however, I learned that this is a recent phenomenon the Italians have instigated as backlash against the US procedure of paying for visa appointments. Italy, you vengeful boot.

Finally I gave in and called. After paying $2.49 a minute to listen to several loops of elevator music, I was greeted by a cheerful woman who informed me that no way in hell was I getting an appointment before I leave on January 5th, but happily put me down for an appointment on January 18th. Spain isn't too far from New York City, right? It's only a few inches on my map.

I am also maybe-sort-of-kinda on a 'wait list', which I imagine is a piece of scrap paper tacked to a wall in the consulate with my name and a few other poor soul's that will soon be covered by a Christmas card.

Anyone have any Mafia connections? I could really use one right now.

My Backpack Has A Backpack

Hello family and friends, and welcome to my semester abroad blog! Here I’ll be posting pictures, anecdotes, and updates as I live and travel abroad in Italy next semester, mostly in order to make you all sufficiently jealous.

Preparations for my travels have begun, which is exciting in a nerve-wracking sort of way. Papa G and I visited EMS over Thanksgiving break to pick out a pack for the trip, and we struck gold in the form of an Osprey travel pack. It’s perfect; with backpack straps that zip away, handles that convert it into a suitcase, and my favorite feature-the front zips off to become a smaller backpack! My backpack has a backpack. I can go anywhere. I think I'll start with Alicante, Spain.