田舎の山口県が大好きです(We Love Rural Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Yesterday, Theresa and I went to apply for our visas. We are required to apply at the regional consular office, which for Pennsylvania is in New York City. We had the option of mailing the applications in, but decided to hand deliver them to be sure everything was in order. It was quite an adventure…
It all started at 4:30 in the morning. We wanted to get to the consulate before a real wait built up and so had been advised that we should arrive around 9:30. Accounting for traffic, this meant that we had to leave Lancaster at 5:30. So, we dragged ourselves out of bed and off we headed. I knew we were going to hit traffic, but what was most surprising was that the last section of I-78 was actually the best in that regard. Thanks to the traffic guy on the radio, we avoided the traffic jam on the I-78 Holland Tunnel, and opted for the Lincoln Tunnel instead. The $8.00 toll was a little bit of a shocker, but nothing compared to what we would find when we emerged on the other side.
Upon exiting the tunnel, we entered the world of Manhattan, filled with people and cars and advertisements. They were everywhere you looked. Honestly, I have never felt so intimidated in my life. Flashing lights, honking horns (although it appears that NYC now levees fines for unnecessary honking), and pedestrians everywhere. Theresa was looking around, just trying to take it all in, and I was looking around, just trying to make sure I didn’t hit anything. After a minute or so, I looked at her and said, “Boy, we really are country mice.”
In the end, we found the consulate without difficulty (although we had to pay $22.00 just to park) and got our visas in quickly and easily. We decided to drive around Manhattan a little to see some sights, but mostly ended up being (or at least feeling) lost and eventually decided to just head home. I must say that when we exited the tunnel on the New Jersey side, I breathed a sigh of relief. In the end, God watched over us and we had safety in travel and success in our task, but it’s not an event I am itching to repeat anytime soon!
We are supposed to be receiving our visas this Friday. Pray that that will occur as we can’t leave for Japan without them. Pray also that we will have wisdom as we pack the final suitcases & boxes for Japan.