First Night

So, I'm here! Awfully tired. It's been a long past couple of days, but also incredible. Not going to write much, but I wanted to post a few pics of the night time view from my balcony. It's definitely urban living and totally breathtaking in that way! I've also included a pic of the group of teachers I met in Miami.

The view out I

The view out II

The view, looking down 7 floors

The Columbus School Foreign Hires for 2008-2009

Going, going, gone...

So I've been packing this week. Had a whirlwind trip to Cali to see some family. I don't see them as much as I'd like, but whenever I'm there I always have a fantastic time.
Anyway, came back and have been busy trying to get my life in order to leave. I am so mentally ready...my apartment is not. I have too much stuff. I have too many clothes. I have too much dust. I am trying to purge as much as possible. After all, I won't be back for 2 years and know that I will not want to dig out old stuff from the attic to decorate with, wear, etc. So I have 2 piles of things that are exponentially increasing in size: Trash and Good Will. It's a good feeling.I was totally stressed yesterday trying to get things together, didn't sleep (AGAIN!), but feel tired tonight, so hopefully will get a good night's sleep. I NEVER have trouble sleeping and was complaining to a friend about it...I have had trouble sleeping all summer. She reminded me that it could possibly be that I was a llittle preoccupied about a major life change like, oh, I don't know, MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY?!?!? She's right, but it doesn't make not sleeping any easier. This is how it makes me feel...So, after I finish this blog I'm turning it in. Hopefully I'll wake up early tomorrow morning. I love doing that...so much better than falling asleep at 5-6 and waking up at 11. The day seems over before it begins. Have been importing all of my CDs to my iTunes to cut down on lugging them all the way to South America. I have so much good music that I rarely listen to...The process is prompting me to listen to those old CDs that sit in the back of the case. Fantastic stuff.

So, tomorrow, saturday, sunday, and then i'm gone.

Mi visa de la Republica de Colombia

Yes, I finally have my visa!! It makes me feel as though everything is official. Made a weekend out of the required trip to Chicago and stopped in Iowa to see some college friends. Everyone is in various states of "goodness." It was fun to see new homes, new men, old men, new bars, old personalities, etc. Got to see a friend in the hospital and she's still working through some things, so if you're reading this, please send out some good healing energy up to Iowa for her. Spent Sunday night in Chicago at a hotel right off Michigan. Didn't want to deal with traffic for my 9 AM appointment on Monday, so it was nice to be able to walk to the consulate in the morning.

Getting the visa was a bit of an experience for me. I am told that I will need to get used to the Latin way of doing things, and I think the trip to the consulate was definitely a reflection of that. The lady on the phone scheduled an appointment with me for 9 AM on Monday. When I got there at 8:55 (punctuality!!!) I was accompanied by 20 other people who had evidently been to be there at 9 AM on Monday, too...SO, we signed in and I began to fill out the forms they gave me. BUT, they were all in Spanish. Luckily the people waiting with me were friendly, encouraging, helpful, and bilingual! They helped me out big time and if they are a reflection of the Colombian people, I will be in good hands.

Finally around 11, after bugging the lady behind the glass, I was taking back into the office of the head lady, who, after a quick glance at all my paperwork that I had spent MONTHS diligently copying, labeling, organizing, asked me how long I would be staying in Colombia, typed it into her computer, and printed off my Visa. She stuck it in my passport, Elmer's glued my picture on top, and handed my passport back to me with a smile and "Congratulations, you have been approved for a Colombian Visa." That was it! Easy and painless, besides the 2 hour wait.

So, it's official. I can work in Colombia! Less than 2 weeks to go...and I am SOOOO ready!