On July 27, 2009 Dennis and I went down to DC to the French Embassy. We left here around 6 am and didn't get home til midnight. It was a very long day, but we accomplished everything we set out to do!
We arrived at the French Embassy around 11 am, a half an hour before my appointment. There were only so many guest passes so Dennis and I waited under a tree at the gate for the next guest badges to arrive. When one did I figured I'd go in and Dennis would get the next one and get to join me. But we were mistaken! Dennis had to wait outside for close to three hours while waiting for the French to take care of their business with me.
We had grand dreams of a beautiful, posh building with guards who checked your i.d. and then led you to a waiting room. Dennis would be allowed to sit in the AC and read (and use the bathroom!) while I'd take care of the Visa in another office. However, it definitely didn't happen that way. The office was small, hot and crowded. There wasn't enough staff, and the wait took forever! People who accompanied those of us who had Visa appointments had to
wait outside, on the curb, and if they had to use the bathroom the guards directed them across the street the the hospital. They weren't hospitable, but we did, in the end, leave with the visa process started. I should know within 2-3 weeks about the status of my Visa...aka it should arrive in the mail - hooray! My fingers are crossed until it arrives, there's a lot riding on this!To make the day end better than it started we toured DC a bit, watched an IMax show in the Air and Space Smithsonian Museum and had lunch in the Smithsonian Castle. Then on to dinner with Matt & Alexis which was fun! We had a very...peculier...waiter who talked in old English and was a little strange, but the food and root beer was delicious! In the end we were able to catch an earlier Amtrak train home and to bed a little earlier than expected (which was nice because we still hadn't rested at all post-Wildwood tournament).
Here's hoping the Visa arrives soon :)!!
