Embassy

49 days left!

Last Thursday I went to the American embassy in Berlin. My visa was approved!

At home I had to fill out a form online which included questions like "Are you a member of a terrorist organization?" We got instructions for this procedure so that helped me a lot. Then you have to pay the fee and make an appointment. 

A few days before my appointment, I got an e-mail from the embassy that said that they have technical problems and that it could be possible that they didn't register my appointment. Luckily that was not the case.

When I arrived at the embassy (30 minutes early), there was already a line. You have to go through a security check and you are not allowed to take any electronic devices inside the embassy. You can't take bags either, so basically everyone's standing there with their documents in plastic films. And there are security men everywhere.

Inside the embassy, you have to wait again. They take your fingerprints and you have a short "interview" with somebody from the embassy. Surprisingly, it was in German. He asked me why I want to go to the US, where I will go, if I already spoke with my host family, if they are kind and how the children are called. I think that didn't even take one minute. At the end, he said that my visa was approved and that they'll send it in a few days.

So this is done too.

Today I want to order some other things for the journey like adapters.

Some days I feel like I want to stay here, at home, forever. Other days I feel like I want to leave immediately. I can't wait! The clock's ticking.

Christin xo

American embassy in Berlin

Plotting and planning

54 days left!

I am as excited as ever.

I already got my international driver's license (which is basically only a translation of the German driver's license) and tomorrow I have an appointment in the American embassy in Berlin. The application for the visa is veeeery complicated. I am so  glad that I got instructions from my organization!

the hoodie

I also got a hoodie for free because I applied during a certain period of time. Yay!

I think I finally realized that I am really going to the US.
On one side, I am so so so happy! My family is perfect and I will live 4 hours away from New York (which is not THAT close but still quite close). So I am really looking forward to going there.
On the other side, I already know that I will miss my family and friends in Germany so much! One year is quite a lot of time.
I think these are struggles that every Au pair has to face. I am in touch with other girls who also fly to the US on August 10th and it's good to talk with them about everything. We are already wavering over what to bring to the US and stuff like that. Packing ain't easy! :p

Apart from all that, I am almost done with my final exams.

Everything's so exciting! A lot of new things are coming, old things go. Times of change.

Christin xo