Getting things done

Hey everyone,

This week’s post is another little update of some things that have been going on as I’ve set a few things in place over the last week.

I spent a lot of time this past week organising my visa applications and appointments. A process that I thought would only take an hour or so and would consist just of entering my personal details, passport info etc. turned into 2 days of filling out info, 2 hours trying to upload a photo to their very strict specifications, and 5 hours waiting for a payment confirmation for the $400+ in surprise fees I had to pay (*cries*). Thank god that’s all finished now! My appointment at the consulate is scheduled for mid-June (at 8 in the morning, RIP me), so until then all I need to do is get all the required documentation printed and sorted for the appointment.

I’ve also been in the process of organising travel/health insurance (super exiting, I know). Ole Miss have a standard insurance they charge to all international students that is mandatory for enrolment, however, its $1400AUD. Deakin offer a complimentary insurance to all exchange students, but Ole Miss and my visa have strict requirements about what my insurance needs to cover. Therefore, I have been undertaking the extremely exciting task of cross referencing the two policies to check whether they match so that I can try and save myself $1400. However, given the US’s reputation for having a pretty abysmal healthcare system, I’m definitely willing to put in the effort to make sure I get a policy with the best coverage possible.

The most exciting news, though, is that just yesterday I finally booked my return flights to the US and my flight to college! I officially leave on Saturday 17 August! I’ve been in contact with my travel agent for weeks trying to sort this out and managed to score myself a deal that was cheaper than what I’d budgeted, which is always a great thing. I’ve still got plenty of flights to book for when I travel afterwards, but at least I’ve sorted the flights that are going to get me to college.

Sorry this post was a bit short, but a few little things have been happening that I wanted to share! Thanks for reading.

- Emily xx