THIS JUST IN:
I was checking my blog stats the other day, and it said I had 130 pageviews, and when I went to break it down, it showed: 129 America, 1 Germany.
That's right people. I have an international audience.
Hallo Germany!
They're probably the 2% running Linux, too. Too cool, Germany. Too cool.
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...anyhow.
TODAY IS FLORENCE FRIDAY!!!!!! And that calls for a picture.
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| ah! it snows it Florence too! =D I'm so happy! Those umbrellas confuse me, though... |
The photo above is from Melinda Gallo's facebook page. I just googled "Florence Italy blog" and hers was right on top. I think, perhaps, I'll start following her...if only for the pictures. =)
I ought to make a checklist of all the things I need to do before I go. Oh wait. I already have one...and it keeps GROWING.
On the plus side, I did check off two things yesterday. I was feeling quite productive after my psych of gender test (that the snow almost made me forget about).
In the 2.5 hour break I spent in the Atrium not eating food, I managed to sent off at least 8 important emails that I've been putting off for the last month or so.
Two of them pertained to my Italy trip.
First, I replied to a reply from an International exchange peer advisor from a conversation we had started during finals week in December. Yeah. I'm definitely slacking. Back then, in 2011, he offered to get me in touch with a good friend of his who was traveling to Italy to teach and travel. I only just now took him up on his offer. Better late than never, I told him.
Finally, and most importantly, I sent off an email to the Italian Embassy in Seattle, to the "Honorary Vice Consulate". Believe me, I debated putting that as my salutation. Dear Sir Honorary Vice Consulate... and then I thought perhaps it was a woman, and settled for a very generic, "Hello," instead.
I had to limit myself to one question this time, so I asked about the difference between a work visa and a student visa, and, more importantly, if it was possible to teach english with my TESOL minor while living in Italy on a student visa. If he says I can't work while I'm over there, I'm screwed. If he says I can work, but not teaching English, I'm definitely switching minors. I just wish I had sent the email sooner--last day to add or drop a class is Friday! (yes...I did try explaining that to him...)
And the sad thing was, I didn't even remember to end with "Ciao!"
| a meme. |
I'm such a pansy when it comes to languages. I'm very conscious of the fact that my accent is wrong, or a verb conjugation is off, or that I'm just plain saying the wrong word. I'm self-conscious about it, and I think that's one of the challenges I'll have to overcome when I'm studying to pass my language test to obtain a visa (yeah, I've done my FAQ research). And I'll have to get over it every second that I'm over there. (Hell, if I'm going to send myself off to a foreign land, I might as well challenge myself while I'm at it.)
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| egad. I'm SO excited. |
You were already pretty absent on Plurk during the KacieAndAlainaFranticallyPlanningForPrague show, but I have to say, getting a Visa was the most outlandishly difficult and irritating thing I have ever done.
ReplyDeleteThe application was absurd and illegible, the consulate was in LA and a total joke (only open from 9 am - noon M-R? Seriously?) and even after almost daily phone calls, the Visa didn't come in time.
I left for Prague and started studying ILLEGALLY until the consulate finally finished processing my paperwork. At this point, I had to mail my passport to my parents, who had to mail it to the consulate, who sent it back to my parents, who sent it with Alaina's boyfriend when he came to visit. Yes, I lived in a foreign country for upwards of 2 weeks with no passport.
My post-grad travel plans involve teaching ESL in Georgia (the country). You can live and work there for up to a year with no Visa. Now that's what I'm talking about.
Keep going, keep asking questions, keep pushing, keep getting excited!
-Kacie
I was lurking while you were PraguePlanning. Not absent, but not present either. I do remember how pissed you were at not getting your Visa, though. That was a long string of posts with profanity. =) Understandably, of course! I would have been terrified to leave without it. Props to you for doing it anyway!
Delete-Ashley
Another update on my international audience!
ReplyDeleteApparently my blog was just viewed 12 times from somewhere in Russia.
It's a dirty dirty lie. I don't trust those stats! There are no russians looking at my blog! Prove it!