That's Italia!

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I have never been so lonely, isolated, scared or stressed in my life. I am as vulnerable and emotionally volatile as I can remember being. This is the hardest thing I have ever done.

Things are up and down, up and down. I found out yesterday that I had bad information and my stay permit that runs out on Tuesday CANNOT be renewed. I left the police station and headed straight to the most grueling interview I've had in years for a teaching position that really doesn't pay all that well.

I went straight home and spent the next few hours on the phone with the US consulate, the US embassy, the Irish Consulate and Charlotte. Ry and I had already begun the long and arduous process of getting married, but for the next step we have to make an appointment for something that is so booked up right now that the next available one isn't until December. But Alberto was able to pull some strings and get us one for Wednesday. Then we have two more steps left.

We hope to be married inside of a month. Meanwhile, Ry has applied for his passport but won't have it for a couple weeks. We went back to the police station this morning to explain our situation and throw ourselves on their mercy. The head officer laughingly told me not to worry, that it was no big deal and I could just come back when we were married (and to bring a souvenir from the wedding). He said that if I am ever stopped by the police, that I am to tell them I have only arrived yesterday. Funny. That's Italia! One faction of the police telling you how to deceive the other.

The relief I have after such heightened fear and sense of helplessness has me on the verge of tears, complete with headache and nausea. I don't know how much more of this we have ahead of us. These things always take us by surprise and seem to be perpetually lurking around the corner.

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