After much discussion, exhaustion, and juggling of priorities, we’ve agreed: We are heading to Portugal on July 4th.
We’ve got the tickets. The rented apartment is waiting, empty, for us. And the toxicity of our country and state grows, seemingly every day.
What we don’t have is our visa approval.
Getting all the pieces in place for the visa application took a little longer than planned, which delayed us submitting our visa application until about a month ago. It was a very slim chance that we would get approval in time.
So, despite not having visa approval, we are going to Portugal. We will drink it in – the relaxed lifestyle, the fast-paced language, the friendliness of the people. We will buy a refrigerator and a washing machine. Test out the beds. Relax. Maybe meet up with some expats we’ve met online. Eat pastry. Walk our new neighborhood.
Then, after a week or a month, we will open our email to see the heart-jumping word: Approved. We will book a round trip flight from Portugal to Austin and back to Portugal. A flurry of activity: sending passports to DC to get stamped, the assembly of the crate kits with the bins inside, a karate class or two, tearful hugs with my mom and dad.
And our two step will be done. We will be living in Portugal.
Approval isn’t guaranteed, of course. The Portuguese Embassy could request more information or deny our applications. Our application is strong, however, and though there is war and pandemic and craziness, I have hope. I have faith, and resiliency.
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