visa in hand...
My visa was delivered today, exactly 211 days since Fil filed the I-129F petition in February this year.
We survived 7 months of being apart from each other while waiting for notices of approvals and monitoring the flow of our documents from the USCIS to the NVC to the US Embassy in Manila. And now that these are all over, i realized the entire process wasn't as difficult as i first thought. It really helped that we read a lot about the procedure and joined online forums and communicated with people from all over the world who were undergoing the same experience. That said, i would like to sincerely thank the wonderful members of www.visajourney.com, especially the Manila thread family, for all the valuable guidance, encouragement and inspiration which made my visa journey a smooth and enjoyable experience.
The only thing that stressed me during the entire process was my self-inflicted OC-ness. Weeks before my final interview, I was endlessly arranging and rearranging photos, labeling some documents and printing too many emails/chats/phone logs, etc. just in case the CO will ask for it. Fil wasn't spared - I kept pestering him about sending me 'this' and 'that' documents and he even sent one document twice because my keen eye didn't miss the wrong entries he made in the first document he sent. Thus, i was overprepared during the final interview and 95% of the 5-kilo bagful of documents i brought to the Embassy were not needed. I sprained my left arm because of that.
So now that i already have my visa i can take time to relax, breathe for some fresh air, before I busy myself again with the tasks ahead: process some personal documents, attend a pre-departure counseling, pay my debts (hmm...wag na lang kaya? hehehe), buy my ticket, shop for clothes and other stuff (better to buy here where its cheaper), pack my things and say goodbye to family, friends and relatives.
Grabe, totohanan na ito...this is it!
So, when are we going to finally meet so you can properly say goodbye to us?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think of it as a momentary goodbye actually. After all, there's always the internet to make keeping in touch easier. Then, you can come back to the Philippines after a few years so we can finally have that darned Batanes trip; or, we can come and visit you in the USA, and you can show us around. Hint...hint... ;-)
hi wilms! promise i'll see you before i leave.
ReplyDeleteyeah, the only thing that saddens me now that i'm leaving is the fact that i missed visiting Batanes. oh well, at least it gives me something to look forward to when i come back. basta, pupunta tayo don...that is kung makakapaghintay ka sakin ;-)
pag napadpad ka sa US, gimik tayo!