THANK GOODNESS!

Good news everyone! After a early morning road trip to the South African Consulate in Chicago (during which I very nearly threw up from anxiety) and a little chit-chat with a friendly receptionist about an hour before the office opened I have FINALLY acquired my volunteer visa! We decided it was my mix of conviction with a hint of desperation I exuded when explaining my situation along with the assurance that I would stay at their office until close to make sure I left with my visa. Thank you so much K for spending a long day with me and attempting to calm me down (but really, how calm can an overly caffeinated Sarah be) during an incredibly stressful day. Couldn't have done it without you! Now nothing stands in my way from taking off Sunday for Cape Town!

Crunch Time

Ok time for the crossed fingers. I finally got my final document needed to finalize my visa in the mail today, and I have decided to take a huge risk and road trip it out to the South African consulate (in Chicago) to see if I can get my visa approved in one business day. My plan, look sad/cute/pathetic so someone takes pity on me and makes magic happen somehow between the business hours of 9am-12pm. If this plan fails, it doesn't mean I can't go, it just means I have to spend extra money to change my flight and spend less time in Africa (sad face) so lets hope this doesn't happen. Someone wish on a star for me!

Red Tape: My Nemesis

So despite my best efforts to stay calm about this trip, the process of procuring a visa is beginning to unnerve me. Unfortunately for me, I have had to wait on some documents from the places I will be working for and staying with while in South Africa. This means applying for a visa much later than I would like to be. My five calls to the consulate in the past few weeks to make sure I have everything in order did not save me from having an incomplete application with less than two weeks from departure. Breathe. My sister and I have been playing the worst case scenario game and this has managed to put things in perspective. Yes I'm doing everything I can (Including going to the most sketch walk in clinic ever while visiting my dad in Florida, trying to sound like needing a chest x ray and physical in a state I don't really live in to leave the country is no big deal) and yes, I might have to change my travel plans slightly but I WILL MAKE IT TO SOUTH AFRICA. Everybody cross your fingers!