the last puzzle piece...

Well, let's see how this works out.

In reference to the previous post title... I hope that my next stop is Milan!

I have an appointment at the Italian Consulate in Chicago this coming Monday to process my work visa.

This appointment is a 15-minute meeting... and has to be in person. I scheduled it over a month ago, paying about $3.00 per minute for the phone call to schedule.

I will not get into the 5-month process of paperwork leading up to this appointment... but let's just say, Thank goodness for my parents, my brother, and his fiancé! While I was in Vietnam, they helped me with the paperwork within the States... my mom has 4 organized piles of papers in my childhood bedroom in NY... and my dad drove an 8-hour trip to hand deliver documents to the Secretary of State for me.

The Italian Consulate in New York processed my Dichiarazione Di Valore for my high school and undergraduate degrees in 4 days.

The Italian Consulate in Chicago processed my Dichiarazione Di Valore for my masters degree in.... 9 WEEKS. ...Really?!

Hence... The stress that is still occurring.

But this may all work... I hope it turns out to be the last piece of the puzzle... securely popped in.

The office in Milan says it will release my Nullaosta this Friday morning... and then it will be sent to me to bring to my appointment Monday morning.

Problem? --> These materials won't make it to me from Italy before my flight to Chicago early Sunday morning.

The set plan is to now FedEx the materials to my hotel in Chicago... with an estimated delivery time of 10:00am Monday morning.

Great. ...My appointment at the Consulate is also at 10:00am Monday.

Calling (and paying $3.00 per minute again) to try and set up another appointment just in case... the next available time is August 30th... 10 days after I am supposed to depart for Milan. Nice. (Not.)

We shall see.

Here's to hoping.

And here's to shouting out once more how amazing my parents are. ...They are meeting me in Chicago for the trip... so most likely, one of them will be waiting at the hotel for the delivery and hopefully running it over a few blocks to the Consulate... within the 15 minutes I have scheduled.

Uhhh, yeah. Let's see if this last puzzle piece can be found in time!