It's official...I'm going to teach English at a university in Ankara, Turkey.
It's strange because sometimes I feel like it's finally hit me and sometimes it doesn't feel real at all. I really need to start packing! And I just know I'll be a mess at the airport in less than two weeks; I'm going to miss my family and my fiance so much (but at least my fiance will be following me over shorly after)!!! I leave on the 23rd of August at 8:10 pm. It sure is getting close! Crazy how time flies.
I went to the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. on the 7th to turn in my paperwork for my visa. It was a lot easier than I thought it'd be. I was really only there for about 15 minutes and it wasn't even as expensive as I had anticipated. It's just strange I was required to be there in person for such a short transaction, but I figure there will probably be a lot of stuff I'll have to do that I won't necessarily understand so I may as well get used to it. But man, does D.C. traffic suckkkkkk. Good thing my cousin was there with his mad driving skillz to handle all that while I got all my stuff together. We've been traveling, first to Michigan and then to North Carolina (where I am right now) to visit friends and family, and the fact that I was able to weave my "D.C. visa" pitstop in there worked out perfectly. Plus we had a great time at a couple of bars and pubs when we got in! We travel really well together, and it's nice to have one last little hoorah vacation with him. He's basically my brother, and I'll miss him a lot, too.
Anyway, I had my visa shipped to me and they said I should have it by the 16th or 17th. That makes me really nervous because that's cutting it really close, but hopefully everything works out. In my head, nothing is official until I have my passport and visa in my hands. I even got my e-ticket for my flight a few days ago, but that means nothing without my goodies from the embassy.
I can't stop thinking about how lucky I am to have this opportunity. I'm nervous as all hell, not even gunna lie. But I'm also really, really excited. It's going to be a huge change, and even though change can be super scary sometimes, I'm trying not to dwell on that aspect. I'm going to learn so much about myself and about the career field I've aspired to enter. TEFL/TESL sparks an interest in me that I've never known before, so I really hope I end up being happy with the decisions I've made and everything I'm about to experience. I can hardly wait to see how different my life will be in just a short while from now!
