So, here I sit. It’s 10 days before I am supposed to leave for South Africa, and I still do not have a visa. Or a passport. Trying to obtain a visa has been a pretty trying process since I am not only dealing with one government agency, but three. The Embassy of South Africa requires a criminal background check before issuing a visa. So all I needed to do was call my local police station and it would simply hand a document over to me, right? Wrong. Way wrong. I had to contact the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, which informed me that I must mail it a set of fingerprints and it would send me the results of a criminal record search 10 to 15 days later.
I headed down to the Charlottesville Police headquarters in order to obtain an official set of fingerprints. (I actually had to go there twice since they only fingerprint on certain days for a few hours.) I gained three things from my first trip: the knowledge of when and on what day the department fingerprints individuals, a parking ticket, and the knowledge that, yes, the University does in fact ticket your car after 6 p.m. On my second trip to the police station I was fingerprinted by an armed police officer in the same room where they book criminals. I have to admit that this was a little intense but well worth it as I emerged an hour later with fingerprints in hand. I had to immediately overnight them to the North Carolina SBI so I would be able to get the results in time to apply for my visa.
Now, I don’t have a criminal record and have never even gotten a ticket other than a parking ticket. So, it came as quite a surprise when I received a letter stating that since arrest activity had occurred during the search, I should request another one in 30 days. Um, excuse me? Luckily my parents believed me when I told them that, no, I wasn’t leading a double life as a drug trafficker or insider trader. But I still needed a document stating that I was not, in fact, a criminal. Fortunately, the problem was remedied more easily than I expected, and after a letter, an hour-long phone call and three days, I had the corrected report in hand. I immediately mailed the report, along with a birth certificate, doctor’s certification that I don’t have contagious diseases, passport (please don’t lose this!) and the promise that I am not a member of a radical political organization attempting to overthrow the government, to the South African officials.
While the visa application process has been strenuous, there are many other things I still need to do in preparation for my trip. For instance, I need to figure out how to pack an entire semester’s worth of clothes and toiletries into one bag. I also need to work on finding something to do on the 20-hour flight. I am also worried about the food since I know the South African diet has been significantly influenced by Indian food. On my Alternative Spring Break trip to Trinidad last year, which also has a sizable Indian population, my stomach did not appreciate my determination to try a new cuisine.
All in all, though, I am really excited. My trip to South Africa promises to be an adventure unlike any other I have experienced. I am grateful to the University and the Study Abroad Office that I can have such an adventure — and even be granted credit for it and still graduate on time with two majors. I encourage every student to consider studying on the other side of the world. It is possible with just about every area of study. So while I am praying that my passport with my approved visas arrives before my flight and that I will successfully close my over-packed suitcase, I hope everyone at the University has a great first week of classes. Next time from South Africa!
Megan’s column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at m.stiles@cavalierdaily.com.
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