Good evening from beautiful Spandau, Germany. So, it was an interesting day today... I had to get up early this morning because a few weeks ago I got an email from the US Embassy stating someone would be available today to answer questions regarding residency status. They did not, however, mention that it was someone from US Immigration and not someone with information on the German system. Their email was unclear and maybe even a bit misleading. They didn't obviously do it on purpose, but they did not include some pertinent information.
So, I got up early because I needed to be there at 9am. I go to catch the bus and two buses arrived at the same time, both going to the same place. The first one was filling up, so I got on the 2nd bus. Of course, after 3 stops, the front door of the bus malfunctioned (wouldn't close), so I had to get off that bus onto another that was waiting behind it. Then, I got to the subway during rush hour. The scheduled train either didn't show up or was about 10 minutes late. At rush hour, when a train doesn't come, imagine how many people need to take that train! It was really full.
I finally got to the Embassy/Consulate and there was a line out front. So I got in line and it just didn't move hardly at all. Apparently there was another line right next to it, that I found out 20 minutes after getting there that was for Americans. The other line was for everyone else looking for visas to go to the US. By that time, the Americans line had gone from 7 or 8 people to about 20. I thought I was waiting to go into a conference with a speaker, which started at 9am. Again, wrong. Everyone there thought the exact same thing, too. We went to a waiting room and I have to be honest, I was really confused. Apparently there was someone from Immigration who worked out of Frankfurt that was answering questions on an individual basis at one of the windows, not in an open forum. It makes sense looking back, but the information was not clear this was the situation.
So, 30 minutes to get to the train station, 15 minutes waiting for the train, another 45-50 minutes in transit, 30 minutes in line to get through the security checkpoint, over an hour waiting for my number to be called, then another hour or more to get home. There went half my day. We were also not allowed to bring any electronic devices, no cell phones, cameras, anything. So, I left it all at home and they still held my keychain at the guardhouse because I had a thumb drive on it! Oh well, the best laid plans...
On my way home, I was able to get a gyro to make me feel better (physically and mentally). I had a couple croissants for breakfast that I got at the subway platform which after a while made me feel kind of nauseous. On top of that, the waiting room was so stuffy. I wanted something to drink, but couldn't find water or anything, so I was feeling super miserable. On top of that, the past few days I have had some digestion issues (nothing severe, just an upset stomach), so by the time I left there, I could tell my circulation was not doing well at all, I was dehydrated and needed some fresh air! A bottle of water, a coke and a gyro and a brisk walk in the cool air later and all was right again with the world. Ha!
I got on the train and was really tired. I have not gotten enough sleep the past couple days and actually fell asleep on the subway, which hasn't happened before. I was only out for a few minutes, but had started dreaming, which means I must have been exhausted. I finally got home and took a 2-hour nap. I usually only take 20-30 minute naps so I must have really been wiped out. Now I probably won't be able to sleep tonight, but oh well...
After I got up, I decided that I really needed to go spend some time with God. I noticed on Google maps (which I use a TON here), that there is a park just down the street from me. At the far end of the park is a large pond. So I went down there today and it was so awesome. Since it was sprinkling a bit, there weren't too many people around, so for the first time in a little while, I was able to go out and just pray out loud. I really miss having those alone times with God, in nature, where it's quiet and peaceful. It really did my heart good, and hopefully for the next two weeks while I am here, I will be able to go out there a lot more.
So begins tomorrow my final search in earnest for work. I've gotta be honest, I'm feeling pretty under the gun at this point and could use prayers not only to be faithful, but to be disciplined. I have a lot to accomplish this week and by next week I am going to have to start making some really big decisions. Please also pray for God to make it very clear what his will is for this. I feel pretty at peace now, but knowing how I have reacted since I've been here, I know that anxiety can come at any time.
So, nothing too exciting to report today, thanks for checking in on me. Thanks for your support and prayers, I can't wait to see how God answers them.
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