This week has been one of the most jam-packed in my time in Zurich. It reminds me of the time Tony and I went to Sydney, Australia for 3 days and saw about 100 things.
Sometimes I look back and like my short hair, like here. Other times…..
Anyway, lots happened this week. First, in coming back from the amazing London/Nice/Cannes, I had lots to catch up on in the office. Second, India visa. Oh yeah, you read that correctly. India visa.
1. India Visa
The India visa was the biggest stressor this week. I actually cried over it. I know right? Who cries about India unless it’s because that curry isn’t agreeing with your tummy? The long and short of it was this – I was supposed to go to India for work in July. This week was the only time frame between needing my passport for Swiss immigration, traveling to London, and actually leaving for India that I could try to get that accomplished. I triple-checked with the agency assisting me that if I got everything out on Monday I would have time to get my passport back before leaving for Mainz/Abu Dhabi trip the following week.
“7 days” was the response I got. Okay, had enough time. I went through the packet of everything I was shipping, including my precious passport.
“Is that everything you need?” I confirmed.
“Yes”.
Off the package went. Well, Tuesday morning I got a phone call.
“Your picture is wrong.” What do you mean my picture is wrong? I took a horrible shot in a photo both in Nice with wet curly hair and a droopy eye (sometimes my left eye does this weird quasi-modo thing…) and cut it into the required 5×5 cm.
“Not good. Need new one.” ARGH!
I raced to the local photo studio to spend time with a lovely gentleman who spoke 3 words of English and wasted 2 hours of the work day doing so. Calling again, I confirmed, “Is there anything else you need? Just the photo?”
“Just the photo.”
Great, off the photo went, I was cutting it close, but I still had time.
Wednesday morning – in my mind, the visa process has already started, I will have it back in times by Wednesday so I can still make it to the Mainz portion of my travel. All is well. I email the agency to confirm receipt of the photos. And then….
“We need another document.”
WAHN!!!! That’s it, I give up. India to me has become like Darth Vader to the people that didn’t like him. India is just not meant to be.
2. Traveling Fools
While I was waiting for the “other shoe to drop” regarding my visa, Tony and I were spending most evenings looking at flights. We were desperate to be able to join our friend Sara in Croatia. It’s something we’d talked about for ages and we really wanted to take a true “vacation” this year. Also, who better to go to Croatia with than a Croatian?
Unfortunately, we were super worried we had missed the boat on decent flight rates because they were all in the $800 – $900 range. UGH! But it’s RIGHT THERE. It would be like paying that much to fly to Ohio, assuming Ohio had some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and a much cheaper currency than it’s neighbors.
We had also been searching simultaneously for flights home because we wanted to see our family once before the Christmas season. We started to try to get creative with dates – we had big success with flight prices home, but still could not find a reasonable trip to Croatia.
Wednesday, after I learned that India didn’t like me, I took the plunge and booked the flight home. I was very happy and excited to have something so amazing to look forward to. I still get goosebumps when I think about it. I was sad, however, that I was going to have to tell my friend that we just couldn’t make it work with Croatia this year.
That night, Tony and I did one more search. No, the story doesn’t end that there was magically a cheap rate. It was still expensive as hell. But after all of my India visa drama I was just like, “When will we ever be able to do this again? I DO NOT SHOP and we have no kids.”
Tony just shrugged.
“Good point. Let’s do it.” And so we booked Croatia as well. I now tear a little looking at our credit card statement, but August is going to be the best month ever. 🙂
3. Polish Wife
Friday was a great day. It was the first day I was able to catch up with work, and I was finally feeling better about my Indian snub. I was pumped about the two awesome trips I had booked and that night was a work dinner where Tony would get to meet all of my work friends. The weather was beautiful and I was feeling fine.
Then I got a super funny, awesome email from my husband:
“Polish marriage cert is here! Now you’re mine for good. Off to the immigration office.”
What?!? Is it true? Am I now a Polish wife? Our Polish marriage certificate had made it in the nick of time and soon Tony should have his residence permit as well. The circle of life, I mean, immigration, is coming to close.
All I have to do now is learn how to make pierogis and shuffle around in some house slippers and I’m set. Just kidding – but I am so happy it’s finally finished! On a side note, of course I of all people would be married in 3 countries.
4. Kreis 5
To close the week out, we went to a work dinner located near the Hardbruke station in Kreis 5. We are still slowly discovering more and more about our great new city, and Kreis 5 is one of these things. The area reminded me of Wicker Park/Berlin. It was very industrial looking, and had tons of cool restaurants and bars. After we had eaten an amazing meal, we wandered for a few minutes over to this great part of the neighborhood. We came upon a ton of wooden picnic tables surrounded by “granola stores”, all under a sea of colorful 70s-style string lights. It looked like a scene from the movie Penelope, and I felt just like her, discovering something like this for the first time.
We are going to try to head back that way today as soon as I finish writing this blog.
Guess I better go! It was a crazy week with some ups and downs, but I feel like I came out on top. Who needs an Indian visa when I have great family and friends I get to see soon?
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