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".