I am writing this currently, wholly deflated. Imagine a human-size balloon that has been popped and is just lying on the ground...step on it a couple of times, and that sounds about right. Soooo this is week nine from our last visa submission, where we have believed that our visa was processing this whole time, and we would be getting a call any day now to pick up our visa.

My husband has been saying this entire time that we shouldn't get our hopes up as we aren't even sure it was approved....ugh I don't know what's worse, having to waste more time or my husband being right and me now having to listen to him about stuff.... haha I hate it when he's right!! And it will be documented for all time, sheesh!

Ready for the shit show? Then let's go!

Woke up this morning to an email from our Lawyer. The LA Consulate finally got back to them. Apparently, our paperwork is considered expired due to it not being processed efficiently as there is an enormous backlog and only 2 people working at the Consulate. They want us to submit new medical forms, background checks, and bank statements.

I mean really did we happen to go on a crime spree with our 3-year-old in the last 2 months? Do we now have the bubonic plague?

The super fun part? We don't have American medical insurance, as I needed to terminate my job to be approved for the application. I have Spanish medical insurance that I have had since June, but that doesn't work here. So we have to try and find a clinic that takes people without insurance who will fill out our forms.

I honestly think if it wasn't for this blog, the friends I have made, and my sheer stubbornness, I would have thrown in the towel and said it wasn't meant to be...We did create a backup plan which would be buying an RV and traveling the United States. It has also been suggested to say skrew it and apply for the Portugual Visa, which is far easier and you can work while on their visa. The problem is I have been learning Spanish and would now need to learn Portuguese? Make new friends? Completely throw months of research out the window?

Ahhh Southern California is so stingy!!

I'm so exhausted, and the thought of doing this over seems impossible, especially since staying in hotel rooms is costing us a fortune. I can't remember the last time I felt so defeated. Luckily the husband has been on top of keeping us organized and creating a plan as mine was to lay in bed forever crying...We went today and got our fingerprints done and should have the results within 10 days...fingers are crossed it's ASAP. Next will be contacting the DOJ to get the form with a wet mark and submitting it to get re-apostilled...The one positive is we are about 20 min from the consulate, so running back and forth will be much easier.

California is so stingy! You really can't hire one or two more people to help out the Consulate. Instead, they are going to make more work for them and delay this process even further for everyone. Well since we don't have a choice here is that plan. We will locate an MD that will sign off on our form, sell my car before we print out new financials to still have a good buffer, hopefully, get the paperwork back from the Hague and, get all the forms translated. After that, we cross our fingers and toes that it's not another 9 week period for us to get this application finally approved!

I checked in with someone who has an in at the consulate, and apparently, this is happening to many others at the LA consulate. I'm hoping you are not one of the ones that will also be getting their items set back, but if you are, contact me, and we can commiserate together! I know it doesn't seem like it will be hard to get this stuff together; I'm just scared we will be caught in a never-ending loop of the timeline expiring and us having to resubmit...

The hotel we are currently at is working out pretty well, but we can only be here for 21 days, which will be up on October 6. We will have to checkout for 2 days and then rebook with a new 21 day period, which we will be doing as having a kitchen is helping us financially. It looks like we will be back to living college life which consists of a ton of top ramen and mac and cheese to help cut back on cost. No more yummy going out margaritas. Damn, I really was hoping to make these posts funny again and not so gloom and doom!

Give up?

Some people have told us to give up, but that has never been my nature, and I can't imagine starting now. Nothing I have had has come easily, and of course, this would be no different. The Lawyer said I will be their number one priority to make sure this time it's successful, but I am having a hard time believing in any of this working out...I could go on and on, but you'll become just as depressed as us, and that wouldn't help anything, would it? Thank you all for supporting my blog and our journey, as it really is the only thing that is keeping us from giving up!

Apostille of the Hague, I'm coming for you. I thought I was rid of your torture machine, but I guess we have one last epic battle! Maybe this is our Avengers End Game, but like the avengers that didn't die? At this rate, who knows? What I do now is hell hath no fury like a woman being skrewed by bureaucracy, and I'll be damned if this is the end of our story!!

Please keep hanging on, subscribing, sharing, and making this all worth it! There has to be good news right around the corner!

09/27/2021