(Sorry mom and dad.)
We booked our tickets to Bali. I thought great it has been done, now I don't have to worry about anything until September 7th.
A little less than two weeks before the trip I casually looked into some visa requirements. I read that my passport had to be valid for at least six months for me to be let into the country and that I had to have at least 2 free pages on my passport. That is the moment when the sweating started.
I biked home from the library as fast I could, grabbed my passport and saw that I was 5 days off. My passport would be valid 5 months 25 days and I had one free page left.
That was a wonderful Sunday.
11 days until our flight.
I felt like I could do nothing. It was Sunday. I couldn't call anyone and I couldn't get any questions answered. I didn't know how strict this rule would be.
Monday I called Jakarta, I called America, I called three consulates in Germany.
I needed a new passport.
10 days until take off.
The consulate in Frankfurt said I had a good chance of getting my passport in ten days because they currently weren't busy. I filled out the forms, I got my pictures taken I did everything I needed too.
(Everything went wrong that day.)
I was at the post office at 5:52 pm on Monday afternoon. Eight minutes from closing time and I handed them my envelope. I needed it to be in the consulate in Frankfurt the next morning if I had any chance.
Now it was all up to them. It was all up to them and how quickly they worked. I called that Friday. 6 days until take off. The man told me my passport had shipped and it should be there Tues/Wed, but it was Memorial day that Monday so he wasn't positive. He said I should call again on Tuesday.
I called on Tuesday. 2 days before take off. At first, he told me that my passport was still in Arizona. Then he told me to wait... he came back on the phone and HE HAD MY PASSPORT. He made an appointment for me at 11 AM the next day. I was going to get my passport!!!!
I got on a bus the next morning 7:00 AM. 1 day before my flight. The bus was already 30 minutes late. Keep in mind the consulate closes at 11:30 AM. Well, things continued going wrong and I felt like minutes were disappearing. I got to the Frankfurt main station at 11:07. Jumped in a taxi as fast as I could and the nicest cab driver in the world brought me to the consulate. First, he took me to a flower shop on the corner where I could leave all my stuff. I didn't get the memo that you aren't allowed to take anything into the consulate. He knew all the rules. Then he gave me 10 Euros for the tram back and paying the flower lady for storing my backpack.
I ran to the door of the consulate grabbed a number and tried to look put together. It was currently 11:22 AM. I went to the officer at the front gave him my number and he said I can't go into the building because I had my Fitbit watch on. I literally told him I would throw it in the garbage I just had to get inside. He told me to go put it somewhere and not close by because there were cameras. I ran down the street put it under some leaves and ran back officially looking like the crazy person.
He let me in the strangest building with 100 security guards and no other people. After going through security my number was called and at 11:32 I was handed that passport. That stupid passport. No part of me believed I would be holding that passport in my hands.
After that moment. I walked outside. The sun was shining. I went to get my watch. I walked to the flower store. I sat down and waited for my tram. I got back to Freiburg around 3PM.
Everything seemed like a blur. I wanted to punish myself for being so irresponsible. I didn't even want to let myself go on this trip. I was holding the passport though. I think I checked that it was still in my bag fifty times before I even got back into my apartment. Nothing seemed real.
I packed and I ate and I laughed at this weird weird WEIRD life, that makes us so crazy sometimes.
We were sitting on the bus to Zurich at 9:35 that night. We were one night away from our flight.
Bali bound!!
