Sono arrivato a Milano!

Well, after many minor setbacks, i finally made it to milan. i'm feeling kind of good about my language skills, they'll just be getting better as it goes along. i'll soon be moving into an apartment (as soon as i make contact with the landlady again), but for right now i'm kicking it in my little hotel room. it doesnt feel like im really jetlagged, but that will probably change within a few hours. im defintely not gonna last until normal bedtime. and dont mind the typos im making, it will take a little time to get used to these italian keyboards. i mean, it took me about a full minute to find the stupid '@'. Well, just a little check in to let anyone who actually reads this that i am alive and well. and full of pizza and fanta. until next time.

matt

Predeparture anxiety

Well, what can I say, getting ready to leave is very stressful. I leave in exactly one week (the 27th) from PDX to start my trip, most likely without the correct visa in my passport. The short story goes: The Italian Consulate in San Francisco (where I had to send my visa application and passport) doesn't have all the correct papers to issue the kind of visa I need. Of course, they didn't bring that to my attention when I sent it down there 7 weeks ago, I had to call and find out for myself. These magical pieces of paper need to come from Italy, 1) from the governments region saying I can do this on these dates and 2) a short letter saying "matt will live here during his stay". Apparently these papers are the mystical modern day unicorns. Maybe they exist, maybe they don't. People know about them and have heard about them but in common practice they seem too difficult to actually find. Of course, this is very stressful to me. Kind of the straw that breaks the camels back when it comes to general predeparture stress as it is. So, it looks like I may be able to only stay for three months. Who knows, maybe it can be longer? I've wrote many an email to my contacts in Italy (and by now I'm sure they dread opening their inboxes) trying to get things straightened out. Not like I have any say in the matter, I just have the ability to get on the bad side of people I haven't even met yet by bugging them. I'm trying to stay as positive as possible but when you've done everything you can possibly do and the rest is in other peoples hands that don't have as much at stake, it can be trying.

Now I know, worst case scenario I can go there for 3 months and then just head back home. Certainly not the end of the world. But when you find out days before your graduation that you'll be going to Italy and then find out you can live there for 6 months doing something that you really enjoy (teaching) and then all of the sudden beurocracy rears its ugly head. I'd love to stay the whole original time (Nov-early June). I've always strived to be the optimist, so maybe things will work out. Then again, I don't like depending on "maybes".

Take off for taking off

It has been a while since my last post, but I suppose there has not been much to post about. However, with me leaving within just over a week a lot of stuff has happened. First of all, I find out last week that not all the correct paperwork made it done to the consulate in San Francisco for my visa application (although I did everything I was supposed to do). So now in the next week or so before I take off we have to get my passport back from San Francisco, with or without the visa in it, so I can leave on time. I've tried to get in touch with my program director in Italy but haven't heard anything about the situation yet, although I expect a response by at least tomorrow (Monday). Stress aside from that my pending departure has given me the chance to make sure I touch base with different people I won't be seeing for some time. Tonight I had two dinners (!), one with some great old family friends whose son I grew up with and the other dinner with some coworkers at Willamette Falls Hospital. Let me tell you, right now I am stuffed! It really gives me a good feeling to know of everyone that is wishing me well in my trip. I've thought about it a good bit lately and realizing that I'll be living alone in a foreign country is a little intimidating. However, it is great to know and remember everyone that I've had a chance to see before I leave. In fact, I got a card from my coworkers that was signed by everyone in the department and I loved it. I was thinking to myself that this is something I am going to bring with me on my trip because it just makes me feel good. About the same time my supervisor Gayle tells me I need ot bring it along so I can remember everyone! Well, it has officially been added to my luggage list. This next week is going to be a busy one for sure. Monday I am meeting with a woman named Karen Hinsndale who is very well respected in the wine industry in Portland. I plan to go to Eugene, Corvallis, get new eye glasses, get a haircut, get a new drivers liscense and I'm sure I am leaving some other things out. And that is just on top of everything else I need to do like pack! I'm sure it is going to fly by before I know it, too. To all of you out there that are reading this that I saw tonight, I'm really going to miss you all and I love you!