Prepping, Planning, and Preparing Part II

Its been a bit since I have posted, mainly because so many things have been happening and I figured that, rather than have a ton of short entries, I should just sum it all up in one! But then it became daunting so I kept putting it off. But now its time!

Where to start, where to start. Hm, ok yes- with getting my visa! So way back on the 18th I had my appointment to get my fingerprints and face digitally scanned for my visa- they call it getting your "biometrics." It was a really interesting experience- a. because I didn't even know Boise had a Homeland Security Office and b. because there was a citizenship ceremony going on when I arrived! It was really cool to see such a wide group of people all smiles and holding little American flags. Unfortunately, the place where I was supposed to drop my paper off was also the very front of where the ceremony was taking place. I told the officer I would wait until the ceremony was over, but he insisted that I go "put my paper in box 1." So I awkwardly waited for a little pause in the excitement (the actual ceremony hadn't quite begun yet) and ran up to put my paper where I belonged. Then I went and stood on the edge of the room where I had a good view of everything that was going on without being in the way. The ceremony began with everyone saying the pledge of allegiance- it was really really cool to see the whole room so proud to be American. Soon a guy came and grabbed my paper out of box 1 and somehow knew exactly who I was and stared me down until I noticed and realized I was going to have to march right up to the front of the ceremony! So I scurried up there only to find out that the form I had had to print didn't have the bar code on it so I needed to go the library to reprint it. After that was all said and done I went back, got my fingerprints and face scanned and was all ready to go - right as everyone was saying their citizenship oath. The guy told me to just go, but I said I would wait- no way was I going to interrupt people becoming citizens. It was interesting to me to see how disenfranchised the employees had become with something that, although routine to them, is still a very big deal!

From there I went to get a passport picture taken. Who knew it costs $10 a pop nowadays! And I had to get two because apparently you're not allowed to smile in the photos and the first one I took actually looked like a mug shot- a bad mug shot. Then I went to mail the stuff out. I opted not to pay $30 to overnight it like recommended- and it was a good thing too. I paid $16 to get it there within 4 days and it arrived in New York the following morning! When I first got the email saying it had arrived I was worried it was a scam! Mostly because the British visa websites have ridiculously fake names like Visa4you.com. But I checked the tracking I had placed on the package and it really had just arrived super quick! Soon I got the email saying my visa had been approved- which meant I could FINALLY buy my tickets!

I have been looking at ticket prices forever. I had figured out that it was cheapest to fly out of Boston on British Airways. And since I have a free Southwest Flight I am going to use that to get to Boston. On the day I was finally going to purchase my ticket I was more than frustrated to find out that the price of the ticket I had been tracking for the past two months went up $300- not cool! This little setback came after I had spent hours on the phone trying to get my loan figured out and I was not pleased. But I was able to make some calls, talk to a rude Irish man, and find a flight on Delta that was only $150 more expensive than the original flight- which in the grand scheme of things isn't really that much (or so I keep trying to convince myself- which became decidedly more difficult when learned how many places I could get round trip in Europe for only $50!) From there I needed to figure out the best way to get to Boston- which was a process in and of itself because we are using a combination of a free ticket from the old Southwest rewards program, a leftover credit from a canceled flight, and points from the new Southwest rewards program. I had thought for a moment that I was going to get to stay a night with my cousins in Phoenix on my way out- but that fell through. In the end my schedule is as following-


Aug 12th
     -4:55pm - Leave Boise
     -6:50pm- Arrive in Denver
     -8:50pm- Leave Denver
     -12:20am- Arrive in Chicago
      -spend the night in the Chicago Airport

Aug 13th
     -6:10am- Leave Chicago
     -9:20am- Arrive in Boston
     -find something to do all day in Boston
     -7:52pm- Leave Boston
     -9:20pm Arrive in New York
     -11:00pm- Leave New York
     -Overnight Flight


Aug 14th
     -11:05am- ARRIVE IN LONDON! :-)

Its definitely going to be a LONG trip over- but it saved me a bunch of money and will be a fun adventure I'm sure- I'm thinking it will remind me of all my crazy Spanish flying adventures! Needless to say I am really really excited. When we arrive we are met by people from Mountbatten (the program that organizes everything) and taken to the temporary housing (were staying in a hotel the first week for orientation and stuff) which looks awesome! http://www.thistle.com/en/hotels/united_kingdom/london/thistle_city_barbican/hotel_facilities/otium_health__leisure_club.html

Pretty sure this pool is my favorite part. Dealing with jetlag and recovering from the long trip can't be too bad if this is where I will be doing it!

Like I said before, I am SO excited to go and can't wait for my adventure to start, but I am also starting to realize just how long a year really is. I know parts of it will fly by, but I just think about how I won't really be able to make my flat a home during that whole time. It doesn't make since to buy "homey touches" since it will just cost to bring them back, but I wonder what it will be like.

On the flip side of that a year seems too short when I look at all the places I want to visit while I am there! I went on Skyscanner and found out just how cheap flying over there is. For example- here is the list of prices for roundtrip tickets- given, some of these prices aren't what it costs to get to the big tourist destinations, but it gives you an idea.

  I also got my school schedule- which isn't well organized and I have some questions about- so I should be able to start planning some trips in my free time. The first thing on the agenda so far- GRANDPA'S VISIT!! Gpa J will be visiting for a long weekend in mid-September and I am stoked. If our trip in Barcelona is any indication of how awesome this visit will be then I am in for a treat. He had already rattled off a grocery list of things we must do while he is there!

Ok- I don't think I have covered everything, but I also know that I have probably covered more than most of you want to know (but hey- I want to be able to look back and remember all this stuff!!!) The next time I write will likely be from across the pond (or maybe while I am bored in an airport somewhere :-) ) so until then- (dang I wanted to insert a good British saying here but all I can think of is Piss Off Boger hahaha) byeeeee :-)

<3 Lindsay Claire