Airports Just Hit Different!

Hola chicos, my name is Annie Lujan and I love airports. The feeling of stepping off a plane, in a totally different world, available at your total disposition to explore will never be lost on me. The adrenaline rush of hearing language which isn’t your native tongue, the people coming and going to a plethora of destinations in the airport is both nerve wracking and incredible. So when I left the United States for the first time and landed in Santiago Chile for my study abroad program, I knew I would continue to seek the rush of traveling for as long as possible. 

When I found the Teach in Spain program, it was the perfect step to expand my life experiences and career path after graduating with a B.A in journalism at the Reynolds school of Journalism at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Reno is affectionately nicknamed the “Biggest Little City In the World'' and is surrounded by the Sierra mountains; four hours away from San Francisco (where my visa is being processed). Nevada has provided me ample opportunities to hike in the summers, ski in the winters, attend live music and events under the casino lights, and grow as a person. Growing up, I’ve always been fairly outdoorsy. I love spending any time I can outside backpacking, climbing, or swimming! Currently I am living as a “parkie” in Yellowstone National Park, having a blast roaming the park when not working my seasonal job. Hoping from one adventure (Yellowstone) to one immediately after (Spain) is not an easy feat. Since the park is mostly remote, service is limited and time to work on paperwork for a Spanish visa has proved to be difficult. 

I am no novice to the strenuous process of acquiring a visa, having barely managed to secure a Chilean visa for my study abroad experience the day before my departing flight. Still, no visa process is the same and requires careful time management and energy. Before I left for my seasonal job, I made sure to finish up all my doctor appointments and federal background check as soon as possible. There is no risking faulty paperwork or internet complications in the boonies of Yellowstone for me!

It can be extremely stressful to gain a visa and oftentimes an ugly reality of hard work in order to begin a wonderful adventure. Here are my top tips for navigating a visa process. 

1. Read the Visa Guide thoroughly! This is one of the best tools you can utilize from CIEE because everything can be found in one place. 
2. Get ahead of your paperwork and appointments early! Bureaucracy is notorious for taking its sweet time. Be sure to keep track of all your documents.
3. Reach out to CIEE staff if you have any questions! They are here to help us, and are very reliable when it comes to responding to emails. 
4. Print a copy of the checklist of all the documents you need and hang it up somewhere visible. As you accomplish more tasks, this will serve as a visual reminder of all your progress. 
5. Remember to breathe. Despite being stressful and frustrating at times, remember the end goal will make it worth your while. Once you are landed, there will be plenty of time to rest and enjoy your time in the city. Put in the hard work now! 

I am so excited to begin this adventure in Madrid!  Life is about to change in all sorts of crazy ways. Until then, I’ll be patiently waiting for my visa to arrive and counting down the days until departure, hopefully you’ll come along for the ride!