Remember back when I said that I was going to get all my paperwork done over Spring Break? Well, as it turns out, I fibbed. I finished up all my paperwork, which was due Monday at noon, over the weekend. Ever try to find an open postal/shipping place on a Sunday afternoon? I don’t advise it. I had forgotten to pick up a prepaid express envelope for the Italian Consulate in Houston to use to send back my visa materials….
But wait: there’s more! (I feel like a used car salesman right now, but it had to happen, I guess.) Not only did I forget about the envelope until the last minute, but I also forgot my $300 housing deposit. I got to call my daddy and ask him to donate the money and a trip to Fayetteville (from Rogers, during his workday) to deliver it to the Office of Study Abroad. Luckily, my dad is awesome and came to campus and even took me out to lunch.
Anyway, that envelope I was supposed to have? I picked up a five dollar prepaid priority mail envelope at the post office in the student union before my Latin class Monday morning. I thought, “Hey! That is the same kind of envelope that the Department of State used to send me my passport in the first place. Sure, it’s cheap, but if it’s good enough for the State Department, it’s good enough for the Italian Consulate, right?” Wrong. It was the wrong one. I had to go to another post office off campus and buy the spendy Express Mail envelope, the one that says, “Urgent! Rush to addressee,” or something like that. And the gal at Study Abroad, who, admittedly, was rather busy at the time, waited until after I’d addressed the cheap, wrong envelope to tell me that it was the wrong one…. On the bright side, I am now the proud owner of a five dollar USPS cardboard folder with a stamp featuring a California bridge that is probably not built up to modern earthquake-resistance standards. It’s even got my address on it, so if I should lose it, whoever finds it can mail it to me in Minnesota.
Ah, well. Bad day, but it can only get better from here, right?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Mightier than the Sword
They say that “The pen is mightier than the sword.” I guess that’s a good thing, because, while I feel I am rather adept at using a pen (or pencil, or sharpie, or bit of chalk), I have absolutely no experience when it comes to using a sword (though, as my brother can attest, I have been known to use lawn chairs as rather effective weapons on occasion).
I have decided that I have undertaken an epic quest to get to Rome. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on my mood), there are no fire-breathing dragons, riddle-dealing sphinxes, or purse-snatching rogues for me to overcome. Instead, there are only the sometimes (though rarely unreasonably) crabby secretaries, mountains of paperwork, and sneaky payment deadlines. As the little side tasks to be completed along the way (you know the ones I mean: help the potions dealer gather ingredients so he will give you an invisibility potion to help you sneak past the Cyclops), I have advising appointments.
I’ve met with my advisors in Classics and Anthropology, and I met with Dr. Fredrick about Classics credit for Rome classes, and I met with Dr. Paradise about which classes to take for Historic Preservation, but I’m still not done yet. I have to meet with my regular advisor (though there’s really nothing regular about him – he’d probably be the legendary young wizard who knows all) tomorrow for “Study Abroad Pre-Approval Advising.” A little ominous-sounding? Like “cross the Bridge of Doom?” Hopefully, the legendary wizard will get me through it.
Sadly, my partner in this epic quest has fallen in battle, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she was captured by the enemy? I’m not sure exactly what to call it, but the point is that Bailey will not be going with me on my journey to Rome next fall. Instead, she’ll be staying here to learn to scuba dive and take Anthropology classes. If this were a real fairytale quest, I’d be sitting in the tavern right now, toasting her memory, or storming the castle with my band of misfits in a daring rescue attempt. But, alas, I do not drink, and rescue seems impossible, so we’ll have to settle for going out to see “Clash of the Titans” tonight. My daddy’s treat.
I have decided that I have undertaken an epic quest to get to Rome. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on my mood), there are no fire-breathing dragons, riddle-dealing sphinxes, or purse-snatching rogues for me to overcome. Instead, there are only the sometimes (though rarely unreasonably) crabby secretaries, mountains of paperwork, and sneaky payment deadlines. As the little side tasks to be completed along the way (you know the ones I mean: help the potions dealer gather ingredients so he will give you an invisibility potion to help you sneak past the Cyclops), I have advising appointments.
I’ve met with my advisors in Classics and Anthropology, and I met with Dr. Fredrick about Classics credit for Rome classes, and I met with Dr. Paradise about which classes to take for Historic Preservation, but I’m still not done yet. I have to meet with my regular advisor (though there’s really nothing regular about him – he’d probably be the legendary young wizard who knows all) tomorrow for “Study Abroad Pre-Approval Advising.” A little ominous-sounding? Like “cross the Bridge of Doom?” Hopefully, the legendary wizard will get me through it.
Sadly, my partner in this epic quest has fallen in battle, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she was captured by the enemy? I’m not sure exactly what to call it, but the point is that Bailey will not be going with me on my journey to Rome next fall. Instead, she’ll be staying here to learn to scuba dive and take Anthropology classes. If this were a real fairytale quest, I’d be sitting in the tavern right now, toasting her memory, or storming the castle with my band of misfits in a daring rescue attempt. But, alas, I do not drink, and rescue seems impossible, so we’ll have to settle for going out to see “Clash of the Titans” tonight. My daddy’s treat.
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