The Trip That Almost Didn't Happen, or "My weekend with angina"

So last time I wrote we needed original documents from Japan. They arrived on Wednesday last week and we quickly drove out to San Francisco to turn in our visa applications for a third time.

Just as we're getting into south San Francisco I went to check the folder with all our papers and... realized I had FORGOTTEN IT AT HOME. I just about had a heart attack. We called my parents to rush it to us half-way to SF. I felt absolutely awful. By the time we got the folder and headed back to SF we were going to get there literally one minute after the office closed. Somehow, though, new faster routes kept popping up, giving us two minutes here, four minutes there. Then traffic would get bad on that route and we'd slow down so that it looked like we'd be late again. For about half an hour I honestly thought we wouldn't make it.

I mean, it was a long shot anyways. Even if they did take our paperwork they told us in no uncertain terms that they needed no less than 5 days to process our visas- which would be Thursday, the day I'm supposed to start training in Tokyo.

Anyways, with 3 minutes left we were around the block from the embassy so I jumped out and ran for the building and told Kris to join me after parking. As I got into the embassy the lady we've been working with had gone home and the only person left didn't want to take our paperwork because he wasn't familiar with the requirements. I pleaded with him and convinced him to process the applications. We waited for Kris to come up to the office (I told the security downstairs that he needed to get in) and after he signed some papers our applications were officially accepted.

The only problem now was that we needed these processed in 3 days.

Long story short (too late) it was a toss up as to when they'd be done. Monday morning we called (I held my breath) and thank god they were frickin ready. Then suddenly we had a million things to do and no time to do it. We checked in to our flight (with my parents' help), had a last dinner with friends and family (hi guys! miss you!) and finished packing.

By 5am the next morning we were at the airport saying goodbye.

K+K