Visa for amerika is granted

Matthijs and I needed a special visa for America to be able to stay 6 months. It took us a day to get all the paperwork sorted out, get the right photo’s and fill in the necessary form’s. We did this a few day’s earlier. On Monday I had an appointment at 08.30 am. I had to get up at 6 and get the train at 6.38 to be on time. I didn’t sleep very well that night. I was constantly waking up dreaming about interviews and not getting the visa.

I arrived well in time at the American consulate at the museum square in Amsterdam.
I had an appointment at 8.30. I thought I had a individual interview with someone from the embassy, but at 8.30 they only started to let people in the first part within the gate’s. Someone searched my bags and I was allowed to walk to the next line. One by one we could enter a some room where I had to show my paperwork, passport and photo. Meanwhile I got a more extensive search. I even had to remove my belt. Every thing was ok so I could go inside the building. Meanwhile it was 08.45 Inside the building I had to stand in another line. One by one someone in a boot asked people for their passport and forms. You hade to pay the 80 euro’s and than you have to sit down again and wait until someone call’s you to one off the boots and look at your request for a visa.

After 15/20 minutes it was my turn. I was pretty nervous because everyone could here me, and my English is a bit rusty. It was ok, they didn’t ask much. A bit about what matthijs is doing for research, what my plans where for my time in America and how I would finance this. I had my fingerprints taken and they granted the visa. YES!!!
I was so happy, but first things first I had to pi all the time sins I arrived in Amsterdam by train. I hoped that there was a toilet at the embassy but now. So I went to a small coffee shop. I used the toilet and drunk a very good cup of cappuccino and a croissant.

Later that day I would meet matthijs at 2 o’clock because we both had to have the original documents for the visa request. I shopped a bit and bought the tickets to go to Freiburg by train. After meeting matthijs I had to return to the NS international office because they had made a mistake with the tickets. There where 25 people before me so it took me 2 hours to get everything sorted out. The fist booking was complete rubbish.

At 16.00 I was finally able to get a subway to go to Amstelveen where the new house of my parent’s is. We had to go directly to the post office to register my scooter in my mom’s name. At 17.00 I was finally finished with all the very important stuff I had to do on Monday. I called matthijs to see if he had got his visa, Yes, everything went well. Pfff

I had dinner with my family and my brother was so kind to bring me home by car. I was really tiered when I got back home. This was a very important day for us and everything went well. Now we go into the last faze of moving abroad.….just 1,5 week to go.

Greatings jose

Nederlands:
Ik heb gisteren mijn visum geregeld. Ik moest al om 08.30 in amstedam zijn op het museumplein, daarvoor moest ik om 6 uur mijn bed uit.
Het ging allemala anders al ik verwacht had en het duurde veel langer maar het is wel gelukt ik heb een visum voor Amerika!

Later die dag heb ik ook de treinkaartjes gekocht om nar freiburg te gaan en ik heb de scooter op mijn moeder naam laten schrijven bij het postkantoor. Het was dus een belanrijke dag en ik was blij dat het allemaal goed is gegaan. Bart bracht me s'avonds naar huis.

Voor matthijs was ook alles goed gegaan met zijn visum aanvraag.
Nu gaan we de volgende fase in voor het verrek ... nog anderhalve week....

jose