Big Plans

I was confused today.

Before coming to the UK, I realized I may have a problem. My flight back to the US is currently booked for June 15, while my visa expires on June 12. In the last two days, I have tried to gain some insight to determine whether or not this is a problem. First, I emailed the USC study abroad advisor. He told me it shouldn’t be a problem, students are allowed a three-month grace period after their studies in case they want to travel. He told me to check with the study abroad advisor here just to be sure, which I did. He told me that it would indeed be a problem, but one easily remedied. He said I would just have to extend my visa, a free process which couldn’t take more than a couple weeks. But he said I should go see the visa specialist to be sure, which I promptly did. She, to my dismay, told me it was a big problem. Extending my visa would cost 295 pounds, or roughly 450 dollars, and it would take longer than the four months I have left in the UK to complete.

I don’t know who to trust. I’m beginning to think that foreign visa operations is one of those things which the human mind just can’t understand, like five-dimensional space or why a cat always lands on his feet. We just don’t have the technology. I suppose my goal now is to find someone with some semblance of authority who tells me what I want to hear.

Ukulele practice continues, and my skill flourishes.

Tonight I booked a flight to Venice for April 4! Hooray! After much thought and some input from my father and other sources, I’ve decided, during my month off in April, to travel from the northern tip to the southern tip of Italy. It should be cheaper and more worthwhile than flitting all around Europe trying to see everything all at once.

Here is a picture of an orange peel which looks like a duck (amendment: Dave has informed me it actually looks like a SEAHORSE), and my precious borrowed ukulele.