So, my plan for today was to clean and organize my room and begin packing for my departure for the Czech Republic scheduled for this Friday. I was planning on posting some fun tidbits of the joys of packing for a 4 month trip, as well as thank my friends in East Lansing for a fun "final weekend in the United States". Unfortunately, my plans have changed.
When I hadn't yet received my passport with my student visa in it this weekend, I decided I would call the consulate in Chicago this morning to see what the hold up was. I called this morning and, to my disappointment, my visa still has not been processed and there is no way to know when it will be. The lady I spoke with gave me an option of having them send me my passport so I could fly tot he Czech Republic Friday as planned, but when I arrived there I would have to mail my passport back to the consulate in Chicago. Then they would put the visa in it, that would take "only one or two days, no big deal". One little thing - while I send my passport back to the US and wait for it to get its visa, I would be in the Czech Republic illegally. Not really my idea of good way to do study abroad.
So I call the Study Abroad Office and my coordinator tells me to get in touch with Palacky University. At this time it was already after 5 pm in the Czech Republic... So THANK GOODNESS FOR FACEBOOK I start to talk with one of the girls who are picking me up when I get to Olomouc. She was such a help and comfort. She got in contact with her teacher who has been sort of overseeing my coming to Palacky, and she said that I should wait to come to the Czech Republic until I have my passport with the visa. This is because I have to check in with the police after being there for 3 days or something...
So now I'm stuck with two very unfortunate and uncertain options. Either I have the consulate send me my passport, I fly to the Czech Republic, and mail it back to the US leaving me in the Czech Republic illegally; or I cancel my flight and sit and wait until I get my passport with its visa.
Either way, I'm really upset, and now I have no idea when I'll be leaving for the Czech Republic. It may not be for another 2 weeks.
On the bright side, I am so thankful for Facebook and the girls I am in contact with at Palacky University. Because of them I can at least be in contact instantly with someone in the Czech Republic and hopefully speed up something to help me to leave as soon as possible. And school doesn't start until the 14th and the first week, the girls tell me, is really nothing. But that isn't much comfort because I'm bored and ready to leave now! I guess this is my first taste of how things are in the Czech Republic. Hopefully I can look back on all this in an academic way...
Hopefully tomorrow I will have some better news after hearing from Palacky... Until then, positive thoughts for the speedy arrival of my visa and the grace of the Czech immigration police to be gracious and allow me to come study very soon in their country are greatly appreciated!
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