For the spring semester, I will be studying and interning in the middle of London, England. If you're reading this, hopefully you already knew that. If not... see you in April!
Anywho, I've created this site to chronicle my adventures and thoughts as I live in Britain.
Haven't started packing... but making sure I'm perfectly satisfied with every font on this thing: Check.Anywho, just to get this rolling, how about the preparation leading up to this final week before my trans-Atlantic flight?
Visa
Since I will be studying and working abroad, I needed to apply for a Tier 4 General Student Visa.
I would have been able to go into the Consulate in Chicago to get a Visa, but unfortunately it had closed this fall. Instead, I needed to essentially mail my life to New York City. This includes two bank statements, an official transcript, a letter from the host university ensuring I would be studying with them, two passport-sized pictures, the application, a self-assessment, and my actual, physical passport. All of it mailed in one of those tan, bubble-wrapped-inside envelopes you can buy at your local Walgreens.
I also needed to set up a Biometrics appointment, during which I had a scan of my fingerprints imported into a fancy computer and another picture taken. I figured this was for security reasons.
Needless to say, it stressed me out. Mostly because I had to send my ACTUAL passport, which has been safely stowed in a corner of my home living room for the past two years.
And because, you know, after all that work there was still a chance I wouldn't get a Visa.
Nevertheless, I now have a Visa. I assumed it would be some kind of impressive, laminated card that I could protect in my wallet. Instead it's basically a printed square that takes up a full page in the middle of my passport.
A bit anticlimactic? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely
I would put a picture of the lovely, hard-earned Visa on here, if I wasn't terrified/positive my identity would be stolen.
A Slightly British Christmas
On a more serious note, my parents gave me this handy little book as a Christmas/parting gift.
I scoffed. A tour book? If there's anything I don't want to be abroad, it's looking like a tourist. (I'm sure this won't really make a difference, because I'll be carrying my camera around all the time anyways.)
Turns out there's some important information in there.
Like a map, first of all. If you know anything about me, I sometimes still get lost around the neighborhood I've claimed as a permanent residence for the past twenty years. This book has at least ten maps, including one of the tube stations. Useful.
They also divided their "Places to Eat" chapter into expensive, moderate and inexpensive venues, by area of London. Very useful.
Not to mention they (of course) list a ton of things to do in London, which I will probably be looking through and circling on the plane.
All right, that's more than enough for now. I'm sure you're all bored to tears.
Oh! You're wondering about the weird title. It's based on a quote I found about travel.
Which basically just means that I wish you lovely people were traveling with me. Aww...
"I don't care about this! When is she leaving??"
Yeah, yeah all right. I'm getting there.
Visa
Since I will be studying and working abroad, I needed to apply for a Tier 4 General Student Visa.
I would have been able to go into the Consulate in Chicago to get a Visa, but unfortunately it had closed this fall. Instead, I needed to essentially mail my life to New York City. This includes two bank statements, an official transcript, a letter from the host university ensuring I would be studying with them, two passport-sized pictures, the application, a self-assessment, and my actual, physical passport. All of it mailed in one of those tan, bubble-wrapped-inside envelopes you can buy at your local Walgreens.
I also needed to set up a Biometrics appointment, during which I had a scan of my fingerprints imported into a fancy computer and another picture taken. I figured this was for security reasons.
Needless to say, it stressed me out. Mostly because I had to send my ACTUAL passport, which has been safely stowed in a corner of my home living room for the past two years.
And because, you know, after all that work there was still a chance I wouldn't get a Visa.
Nevertheless, I now have a Visa. I assumed it would be some kind of impressive, laminated card that I could protect in my wallet. Instead it's basically a printed square that takes up a full page in the middle of my passport.
A bit anticlimactic? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely
I would put a picture of the lovely, hard-earned Visa on here, if I wasn't terrified/positive my identity would be stolen.A Slightly British Christmas
On a more serious note, my parents gave me this handy little book as a Christmas/parting gift.
I scoffed. A tour book? If there's anything I don't want to be abroad, it's looking like a tourist. (I'm sure this won't really make a difference, because I'll be carrying my camera around all the time anyways.)Turns out there's some important information in there.
Like a map, first of all. If you know anything about me, I sometimes still get lost around the neighborhood I've claimed as a permanent residence for the past twenty years. This book has at least ten maps, including one of the tube stations. Useful.
They also divided their "Places to Eat" chapter into expensive, moderate and inexpensive venues, by area of London. Very useful.
Not to mention they (of course) list a ton of things to do in London, which I will probably be looking through and circling on the plane.
All right, that's more than enough for now. I'm sure you're all bored to tears.
Oh! You're wondering about the weird title. It's based on a quote I found about travel.
You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world.
-William Hazlitt
Which basically just means that I wish you lovely people were traveling with me. Aww...
"I don't care about this! When is she leaving??"
Yeah, yeah all right. I'm getting there.
