Hooray!!

I finally got my visa in the mail last week. What a beautiful little sticker it is in my passport :)

Thirteen more days until I get on a plane at 6:00 am and fly to Chicago, then London, then Belfast, and finally take a train to Coleraine. Now I have to start thinking about packing... can't I just take my whole closet? And all my room decorations...and my dog...and my whole family? Haha

Stressing Out

So I am having a VERY frustrating experience trying to get all my visa information together and finished and mailed off. There are TONS of deadlines and steps that you have to do in the right order or else everything will be messed up. I have found this out the hard way...applying for a visa is not easy in any means. My dad is helping me a lot and so is my mom, I am very thankful for them! Right now I am just waiting to get my financial aid award letter from CWU and my biometrics taken. It will all be mailed off very soon, and off to Ireland I'll be...

Update

Hey everyone! Thanks for looking at my page, and voting on my poll! I want to update but there's not much to share. I'm still waiting to hear back from University of Ulster for a certain CAS number which I need before I send my visa. I'm getting a little nervous because it's taking longer than I expected. They are 8 hours ahead so it is hard to get a hold of the secretary I've been communicating with.

I'm reading a new book about Ireland that my dad bought me. It's called Trinity, written by Leon Uris. It's about Ireland and it's struggle for freedom during the twentieth century. It's really interesting, and the best part is I'm learning the history of Ireland without even studying! I would recommend it to everyone. (Thanks Dad :))

That's about all the new news I have for now. Don't worry, the blog will get more interesting once I've started my trip. Bye for now!

Testing 1, 2, 3...

Hello! Welcome! I've decided to start a blog about my trip to Ireland. I figured I wouldn't be able to talk to everyone directly all the time so this is a good way for me to share my experiences with you all. I'm going to try to figure out exactly how to work this website, but for now I'll give you a brief overview of what I'm doing to prepare.

I am currently in the process of obtaining my visa, which has many steps and takes a loooong time. I'm also figuring out my financial aid and living situation as well. I have many books on Northern Ireland which I still need to read, and I'm saving my money for my trip from my new job at Nordstrom. If anyone has any suggestions on movies, books, tips, or other general travel information please share!