Oh My Visa!

One would think that once I accepted the job at Tobar Mhuire that I could just relax and enjoy my summer months in the States. That it would be smooth sailing...Please, don't make me laugh!

When I met with Fr. John in April, the plan was to begin in September. While having volunteers is a fabulous idea, what Fr. John didn't realize was that volunteers, like all people who wish to have long term residency in the UK, need a visa. It was after meeting with Fr. John that I began researching the visa process, and when I found out that I needed a "certificate of sponsorship." You receive this certificate from your employer, and without it your visa application is sure to be unsuccessful. BUT, for a sponsor to be able to assign you a certificate she/he needs to apply for one, and BEFORE he/she can apply for a certificate the company/organization needs to be approved.

That's a lot of steps. Luckily, government agencies are very efficient. NOT! Needless to say, by early May I knew that a September 1st start date was not going to happen.

The summer wasn't bad. I had an internship lined up with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. And then I did some teambuilding work with NorthStar Adventure, some babysitting, and flew out to Kansas City to visit my friend James. (p.s. Kansas City is AMAZING!)

But then September came. And then October came. And then November came. To make matters worse, Fr. John was not the best communicator during the ordeal. I have come to learn that he was working very hard to jump through all the hoops, but it was very stressful and nerve racking to not get regular updates on the state of things. The reality was, without a successful visa application I wasn't going to be able to work at Tobar Mhuire. Of course there was no reason for things to not be approved, but all I wanted was to hold my passport/visa in my hand.

 Finally, the email I was waiting for came! And what a relief it was! I was issued my certificate of sponsorship mid-November, and was able to submit a priority visa application (aka you pay more for faster results!) and the week after Thanksgiving I was in Ireland!

Despite the stress, I am very grateful for the "waiting period." This experience gave me another opportunity to put my trust in God. When I accepted the job, I really did feel like this was the path that God was guiding me down. But, there were moments that I wished that I would have accepted a position with JVC (Jesuit Vol. Corps) because I wouldn't have had the period of uncertainty. Instead I had to trust both God and myself. I had to trust that God would provide for me, but I also had to trust myself and my discernment of where God was leading me.

Another blessing that I discovered was "The Perfect Fit for Working Women." One evening I was telling my Mom my grand plan of marrying wealthy and then opening up a boutique were disadvantage women and struggling students could come and get one-on-one fashion advice and free interview appropriate clothing. (I swear I came up with this idea all on my own). After a little Google research, I discovered such a concept exists and there happens to be a non-profit built around that exact premise in Allentown, and I began volunteering! It was great...I was able to work a few days a week. It provided me with some structure to my life, gave me an opportunity to help some amazing women, and I loved it!

Lastly, and most importantly, it gave me some very precious time with my parents and my grandparents. I haven't really lived at home (except for summers) since high school, and I never had any extended periods of time with my parents all on my own. With Angela at college and Chris busy in NYC, it was just me, my mom, and my dad. And it was wonderful. Truly treasured moments. Driving through the country, wine tasting, or just having lunch on the deck....simple moments, but very much treasured. I also had regular Saladworks dates with my grandmother and spent quality time with my grandparents. I got to learn so much about them...the stories of their youth (and early retirement!) has complete changed the way I think of them. And I will always remember that afternoon when we were looking through photos from their trip to Germany and my grandmother looked up at me and with a gleam in her eye said, "We were really adventurers, your grandfather and I." It was so beautiful.

While it was frustrating to wait so long, the delay was definitely a blessing in disguise. I will be forever grateful for the time I had at home, but then again, I was ecstatic when I finally got to the Newark airport!