Getting my E-2 Visa

Oh boy...this stuff was NOT as easy as it used to be.

I flashed back to the days of Singapore where we would do daytrips of embassies. Some of them in malls where we were in and out in an hour, some where we would be there all day. The Korean embassy was...odd.

First I drove there (to La) with my mom (from San Diego). This is a good 2.5/3 hour drive (depending on speed and traffic). I finally arrive and they have free parking (wohoo!) I enter and pass through security...except there's not security guard, just a metal detector. I walk through and...it goes off...still no guard. I look around and, seeing no one, continue walking. My mom walks through to a similar scene.

I go to the window (that's right...no lines...no picking a number, I just walk up to a window...how strange is that?) talk to the lady through one of those screen things (I hate those things! they are by far worse than the drive thru windows) she says if I need an interview I need to come back at two (ok so for those in the future call ahead and make an appointment) I go eat lunch(steal the menu because its has some korean I can study while I wait at the embassy) walk around come back and she says I don't need an interview, my paperwork is fine without one...ok fine...

Since I live in San Diego and cannot come back tomorrow to pick up my passport and visa I gave her an addressed and stamped envelope per the internet's request...but she says if I wait until three I should be able to leave it it...sure why not

Sure enough at 2:55pm I get my visa. Long drive home and by about 8:00pm I've booked a flight to Korea...WOW

I am going to Korea

on Thursday

less than 48 hours and I'll be on a plane to Korea (ok a plane to San Fran...but from there...Korea!)


WOW