Daniel is going to add his 2cents in brackets throughout the blog.
We were excited that on Daniel's birthday, we found out that we were accepted into the Workaway program.( then we had a crazy surprise birthday party that Roxi organised for me. Thanx babe) Then we had to wait forever to recieve our petition number. Since the unemployment rate spiked in the USA, all the country clubs had to offer the available jobs to the Americans first - which is understandable.
Then on MY birthday, Workaway called us to say the petition was signed and that we may
start making our visa appointments.(Roxi was actually pretty grumpy that day but she got happy later.:)I was at the consulate just a few days later. For me, this was a really stressful thing. I was having to take rescue tablets the day before, the day of my appointment, and Daniel's visa appointment was the day after mine, and I was still gulping down the rescue. I like to blame it on happiness and being excited not scared and anxious. Anyway, the consulate appointment was about 30 seconds long, done individually and they tell you immediately afterwards that your visa
is approved. So I was so relieved when the consulate officer behind the glass window gave me my receipt to collect my visa the next day! The next day was Daniel's turn at the consulate. I think the consulate officer must have been getting accustomed to all the Workaway applicants, because there were about 7 people from Workaway there with Daniel, and the officer who does the interview called the first girl, then the second, and then got over it, and called in all 5 of the remaining applicants at the same time and did a group interview. (he really struggled pronouncing my surname so we just called each other sir the whole time) And they all got their visa's approved! YAY! (WOOP!)
We then had 8 days to start organizing our clothes, and saying goodbye to family. Daniel's family lives 1:45 hours away, so we went to Greytown to say goodbye to them. Came home and had our fare well party (EISH), and then got packing. Of course I had been packing slowly for the last 3 weeks, but it only took Daniel a few hours! The day we went to go collect Daniel's visa, it was a Thursday. I drove past the consulate, Daniel ran in to collect while I drove around the block, 17 times, and picked him up again.
Roxi:
Let me see your visa!!
We were excited that on Daniel's birthday, we found out that we were accepted into the Workaway program.( then we had a crazy surprise birthday party that Roxi organised for me. Thanx babe) Then we had to wait forever to recieve our petition number. Since the unemployment rate spiked in the USA, all the country clubs had to offer the available jobs to the Americans first - which is understandable.
Then on MY birthday, Workaway called us to say the petition was signed and that we may
start making our visa appointments.(Roxi was actually pretty grumpy that day but she got happy later.:)I was at the consulate just a few days later. For me, this was a really stressful thing. I was having to take rescue tablets the day before, the day of my appointment, and Daniel's visa appointment was the day after mine, and I was still gulping down the rescue. I like to blame it on happiness and being excited not scared and anxious. Anyway, the consulate appointment was about 30 seconds long, done individually and they tell you immediately afterwards that your visa
is approved. So I was so relieved when the consulate officer behind the glass window gave me my receipt to collect my visa the next day! The next day was Daniel's turn at the consulate. I think the consulate officer must have been getting accustomed to all the Workaway applicants, because there were about 7 people from Workaway there with Daniel, and the officer who does the interview called the first girl, then the second, and then got over it, and called in all 5 of the remaining applicants at the same time and did a group interview. (he really struggled pronouncing my surname so we just called each other sir the whole time) And they all got their visa's approved! YAY! (WOOP!)
We then had 8 days to start organizing our clothes, and saying goodbye to family. Daniel's family lives 1:45 hours away, so we went to Greytown to say goodbye to them. Came home and had our fare well party (EISH), and then got packing. Of course I had been packing slowly for the last 3 weeks, but it only took Daniel a few hours! The day we went to go collect Daniel's visa, it was a Thursday. I drove past the consulate, Daniel ran in to collect while I drove around the block, 17 times, and picked him up again.
Roxi:
Let me see your visa!!
Daniel:
I don’t have it.
I don’t have it.
Roxi:
Okay, ummm, why?
Okay, ummm, why?
Daniel:
It is a public holiday in America today.
It is a public holiday in America today.
Roxi: So we just have to fetch it tomorrow before we leave.
Daniel:
Its a public holiday tomorrow too.
Its a public holiday tomorrow too.
Roxi:
But, but we leaving tomorrow. (white face) When are we... How are we... But then...I was speechless! Then Daniel takes the visa out and shows it to me!
Friday came, the excitement reached boiling point! We arrived at the airport and crossed through
those dramatic boarding gates, where our families were waving through the glass
windows and our mothers were crying bucketfuls of tears.
The journey has began!
A 1 hour flight to Johannesburg from Durban. A 6 hour wait at the airport. A 15 hour flight to JFK. (let me just warn you now that if you have limbs, representing legs, that the seats are a tight
squeeze so when u checking in find out if you can change seats to one that has a vacant seat next to you.) A 8 hour wait at the airport.A 4 hour flight into Fort Lauderdale(you get blue chips on this flight, they're actually blue in colour). And when those wheels of the plane hit the ground, we could not have been happier!
A Workaway representative met us at the airport at 6pm USA time, we got our luggage, we jumped on a bus and drove to Boca Raton (which according to the American sitting next to us on the plane, means "mouth of the rat") The driver took us to Walmart! We had 20 mins to
shop for food for the next three days. Not so easy when the shop is the size of a small island. And you don’t know what you looking at or what you looking for!
So we got eggs and bread, the all-time die-hard. We were then dropped off at our apartments, which are really really nice, and spacious, and the beds are so welcoming!
PLOP, we were passed out before we knew it! (I was out, Roxi was trying to make the place all pretty before bed, don’t ask me cuz i dunno)
But, but we leaving tomorrow. (white face) When are we... How are we... But then...I was speechless! Then Daniel takes the visa out and shows it to me!
Friday came, the excitement reached boiling point! We arrived at the airport and crossed through
those dramatic boarding gates, where our families were waving through the glass
windows and our mothers were crying bucketfuls of tears.
The journey has began!
A 1 hour flight to Johannesburg from Durban. A 6 hour wait at the airport. A 15 hour flight to JFK. (let me just warn you now that if you have limbs, representing legs, that the seats are a tight
squeeze so when u checking in find out if you can change seats to one that has a vacant seat next to you.) A 8 hour wait at the airport.A 4 hour flight into Fort Lauderdale(you get blue chips on this flight, they're actually blue in colour). And when those wheels of the plane hit the ground, we could not have been happier!
A Workaway representative met us at the airport at 6pm USA time, we got our luggage, we jumped on a bus and drove to Boca Raton (which according to the American sitting next to us on the plane, means "mouth of the rat") The driver took us to Walmart! We had 20 mins to
shop for food for the next three days. Not so easy when the shop is the size of a small island. And you don’t know what you looking at or what you looking for!
So we got eggs and bread, the all-time die-hard. We were then dropped off at our apartments, which are really really nice, and spacious, and the beds are so welcoming!
PLOP, we were passed out before we knew it! (I was out, Roxi was trying to make the place all pretty before bed, don’t ask me cuz i dunno)
Author: Roxane Gordon and Daniel Pfeil
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