Hello Everyone,
I was officially accepted to the program in Vienna. I am beyond excited. I have almost all of the signatures needed for my pre-approvals and am well underway for getting my entry visas, passports and temporary resident permits in order. The fundraising stage begins now.
Today, I applied for my passport, which was an interesting experience to say the least. The passport office in the International Cultural Center is open Monday through Thursday from 1pm to 6 pm. Today is Wednesday. On Thursdays, I have class from 11am to 6 pm. Next week is Spring Break and the office is closed until show week. It was imperative that I get my application in today, considering I needed to add a rush fee in order to be getting the rest of my documentation and forms in on time.
I had convinced my parents to send my birth certificate up to Lubbock to apply for my passport. I knew it was supposed to come by 3 pm today. So, after Opera rehearsal (which I am performing on Thursday the 21 of March and Saturday the 23 of March) I went to my mailbox to check and see if it had arrived. It wasn't there and I was disappointed. I went to my room and checked my email, and bingo a package had arrived for me. I went downstairs to my dorm office and picked it up.
The time is now 3:30. I then went to the bank and withdrew the exact amount of cash I would need. This particular account has a debit card attached to it, so I have never felt the need to order checks for this account. I take a 20 minute bus ride to the International Culture Center and walk into the Passport Office.
The time is now 4:15. Apparently for the particular office I wanted to apply doesn't accept cash for passport fee. They only accept checks or money orders. Well, barnacles.
I walked 20 minutes back to campus because the bus system is super sketch and I had no idea if another bus would come by with enough time to correct my problem. I arrived back on campus at my bank in the Student Union. I asked if they could do money orders. They said yes. But wait, today, of all days, they were out of money order forms.
The time is now 4:40. I call my friend, Nikki, almost in tears, begging for a favor. She agrees and we drive to Walmart.
The time is now 4:50. The very wonderful lady at the Walmart money center-bank thing helped me out. I credit that woman with being the one person today with the ability to turn my entire day around. I now had my money order, my birth certificate, and my application.
The time now is 4:55. We drove the International Cultural Center. I went in to the passport office.
The time is now 5:15. There is a large family with four small children, a young man and an elderly gentleman in line in front of me. The passport office lady makes quick work of the line.
At 5:45 it is my turn to apply. The application goes without hitch this time.
I leave the office at 5:55. Nikki and I drive back to our dorm and breathe a sigh of exasperated relief. I had successfully applied for my first passport ever, just in the nick of time.
