I am supposed to fly from Stockholm to Denver in 15 (!!) days for a job that will start a couple of days after. My to-do-list is triplefold (I actually have an excel sheet that outlines everything... Swedish job, getting ready for the US job, and getting Sweden ready and official) - and each day I feel like I almost miss some crucial part.
The most recent shocker was that the US Embassy in Stockholm wasn´t going to give me the necessary appointment for the visa application until August 12th (at that point I am supposed to work with our German group of kids in the Monument Valley - standing in a line somewhere in Stockholm wouldn´t be practical!!). I found out yesterday that I could only call the embassy MO til TH between 1 and 2 pm. Luckily it was Wednesday. When I called today they said - after I had completed listening to a ring tone between 1:00 and 1:11pm (yup, I am committed) - that my only chance of getting in was if I got a spot online early in the AM, when they updated the system with cancellations. Patrick, my Swedish best friend and boss, did the math later... with that system I would have approximately 5 days to get lucky - otherwise time wouldn´t allow for things to fall into place. Which would mean that I would not be able to go work in the US with German youth and have the time of my life in beautiful spots, all the while earning money that will allow my dog Buford and I to get established in Sweden. It would mean trouble, that´s what that would mean. But, once again, I got lucky (or: perseverance pays off, or karma, or...). Just as I was starting to write an email to my support net (hiring company and visa sponsor), I received an email from the US embassy in response to mine from yesterday. It simply stated: "Hello, We can work you in at 2:00PM on Wednesday, July 22nd.Please reply by return email that you can confirm this date." I was about ready to cry. And confirmed. And sent a jubilation email to my support net.
I also got a bank account at Swedbank today (that only took an hour). And partial pay for my Swedish job. And lots of compliments for my work from my Swedish boss.
Am still struggling to get a TB test and a physical. The visit to the vårdcentralen or the medicinskt centralen made things only more complicated. But: I will win in the end!
Life is good in Sweden. Come visit!
And tonight I must swim to celebrate - and get some time away from computers and visa application forms.
No comments:
Post a Comment