Visa, Don't Leave Home Without One

Or, don't stay in France more than 90 days without one.

Seeing as my study abroad experience is going to total about twice that amount of time, I had to apply for a visa. The application is slightly more involved than you'd think, however. Not only did I have to get another set of those lovely one-inch photos from Walgreen's, I also had to get a notarized statement saying I wasn't broke, among other things. Further, as a student, I had to register for the online network "Campus France." The only real help in this is that they keep track of me, and I get to pay an extra $60. You can't apply for a French Student Visa without proof of being a "Campus France" member either. It was just another delightful way they managed to take money from me.

The French really don't like to make it simple either. I couldn't just mail my application to the consulate. I had to take it in, in person. Luckily the nearest consulate is in Chicago, and since I go to school there I know lots of lovely people that I could go visit. So last Thursday I did a joint trip down to the city, to get my visa and visit a few of my friends who I won't be seeing for a long while.

After dropping $27 to get to O'Hare I sat on a sweaty blue line train ($2), direction downtown. I arrived on State Street an hour and a half early for my visa appointment, so I shopped around at some of my favorite stores that we don't have in Wisconsin. I didn't really need anything, but I couldn't resist a pair of jeans for $12.50. Oh, and two pairs of leggings ($4.50 each). Afterwards I dropped $5 on a quick lunch of chips and salsa at Chipotle, before hunting down the French Consulate.

The French Consulate is actually located in 205 N Michigan. It's a fancy high-rise that looks out on Milenium Park to the south, and Lake Michigan to the east. Upon arriving I had to sign-in at visitor's desk to get credentials to ride the elevator the the consultae. After arriving on the 37th or so floor of the consulate I entered a modern looking sitting area. The seats were clear plastic and there was a brightly colored, geometric shapes rug on the floor. There was also no one to be seen. Another visitor told me that it was lunchtime at the consulate, and that the staff would return at 2:00, about 15 minutes from my arrival.

I had a seat and pulled out the book I was reading (We Might As Well Win, by Johan Bruyneel... loved it). I listened in on the conversations of the other arrivals. Mostly uptight American's who were also heading into the visa office. At about 5 minutes until 2 the first couple got up to go line up outside the Visa Office. From eavesdropping I learned that they thought they would be the first ones to go through the application process if they lined up early. They obviously don't know the French. I figured that the first person wouldn't get back from lunch until 2:15 or so, and that the Office wouldn't be going until at least 2:20.

I was right. I just sat and hung out in the sitting area while about a dozen people lined up in the hall. When the Office was finally opened they made us sit in another lobby while they readied their materials. One man walked up to the window (a bit like a ticket window at a theater) and tried to give them his stuff. The woman waved him away, "We call you up when we're ready." And then the other women looked out at us, and walked away for a good while.

At about 2:30 the room was getting restless. Our appointment time was 2:00, they wanted to get on with it and then get out. I was slightly entertained with their impatience and I sat trying to figure out why each person was going to France. Then the first name was called, Mine! In my head I was deeply pleased. I was the one that cared the least about getting out of there (mostly because I wasn't meeting my friends till after 5:00). I went through the application process ($74) and then was told I could come back at 4:15 for my passport. The woman nearest me turned green. "4:15?" she whispered really loud. I grinned internally. This was great.

I wandered around Milenium Park for awhile, bought a coffee ($4), and then window shopped. I got back to the consulate at 4:10 to find the room full of all of the people I had seen earlier, and others. I figured some had stayed the whole two hours. The last part was painless. The called us up one at a time, handed us our passports, and then we were free to go.

Afterwards I jumped on the 6 ($2) and headed to Hyde Park. I found Mayon in the Quad, and later we met up with Anton for dinner at Salonica (french toast, eggs, hash browns, coffee--$10). After we walked around the campus, dipping our feet in the Law School Fountain, stepping into the air conditioning of Crerar, and catching a first glimpse of the new library addition. We left Anton on the corner of 56th and Woodlawn and walked back to Mayon's place. Mayon and I hung around for awhile before I passed out from fatigue.

The next morning I departed Mayon's early so she could head to work. I bought a coffee and pain au chocolat ($5) and boarded the metra towards downtown ($2.35). Downtown I walked through the loop in the drizzle of the morning, admiring the clouds around the top of the tallest buildings in the midwest, and dropping $5 on a huge Jamba Juice. I made the bus back home right as it started to board ($28) and headed back to Wisconsin.

It was a long 24 hours. I accomplished a lot, and got a strange first glimpse at the differences between American and French Culture. I dropped $61.35 on transportation, $29 on food, $21.50 on clothes I don't need, and $134 on a visa to France. It doesn't matter though, because the adventure I'm about to have will be--priceless.