I'm Back!

School's out!  With the return of summer, I thought it would be the perfect time to revive ye olde blog.  My Adventures in Italy, Part III begin in September, and non vedo l'ora -- I can't wait!  You can see the side bar for a brief summary of my plans.

Until then I expect things to be pretty busy, yet mundane (especially this post), so if you decide to keep reading, consider yourself forewarned!

At the moment I am still in Maryland, finishing my school responsibilities (just turned in the grade finals -- hooray! -- and keys -- how strange! -- yesterday) and working out the final details needed to obtain my study visa.  These details include a letter of invitation from my hosts, two letters of enrollment from the language school, round trip airfare, proof of insurance, proof of financial support...and I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting.

The big thing remaining from that list is proof of insurance.  I do despise insurance.  I guess I'm pretty thankful for auto insurance (had to file a pretty major claim a month ago) but insurance of all types is always so complicated.  I have to find travel/international health insurance with a minimum coverage of $50,000 and while I have found a few options, it's hard to tell whether or not the company is reputable.  Just when I think I've found a good deal, I find several dismal reviews.  If anyone reading this happens to have experience with such insurance, please let me know!

This reminds me -- you don't have to be a registered user to leave comments on this blog.  Just click "anonymous" and then just sign your name at the bottom of your post.

After I assemble all the necessary documents, I will need to go to the consulate in Baltimore to apply for said visa.  I am dreading this SO MUCH.  I called this morning.  (By the way, the Italian consulate is only open until noon.  Just for fun, I checked the hours of the German consulate.  They are open from until 5:30 p.m.  Oh well, I just have to keep reminding myself that the laid-back attitude is just one of the many reasons I love Italy.)  The girl who answered the phone asked for my email address and said she would email me the information.

"Do I need an appointment?"  I asked.

"Yes, but first you need the necessary documents, which I know you don't have because I haven't sent the information to you yet."

Well then.  She didn't consider the fact that I might have been doing my homework and already found the list of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000+ requirements for a long-stay visa.  I suppose it will be nice to have the official word, although I'm slightly concerned that I haven't received the list.  Maybe it was too much for her to muster up in the last 45 minutes of her working day.  I'll be sure to call first thing tomorrow.

**UPDATE**  She DID sent the packet, a little before 1 p.m.  My faith is restored!

After I manage to submit a successful application, which I dearly hope will be next week, I plan to pack as many of my belongings as will fit into my car and return to Tennessee for a few months.  I plan to take the GRE this summer, as well as make application to a number of graduate schools.  My objective right now, after I finish my time as an au pair, is to get a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Latin.  I'll have one more week of teaching in Maryland (an end-of-summer Latin review class) and then I'll pack up my family's minivan with the rest of my stuff and prepare to leave.  I fly out of Charlotte on Saturday, 1 September.

And there you have it!  Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions, comments, or well-wishes... ;)