So legit yo

4 hours...

.. 2 fingerprint scanners, a ticket number, a long wait in a sweaty room and a 30 second 'interview' later.. the immigration officer said those beautiful words..
'Your visa has been approved'

I'm OFFICIALLY going to Cali babyyyy!!

Finger Finger Heal Heal

My visa interview is tomorrow morning.

In the scary intense instructions it says a fingerprint will be required of all fingers and thumbs, if any fingers have cuts/blisters you will be refused and your interview rescheduled.


Of course, I have a cut. On my right ring finger (that doesn't really work but what else do I call that finger?) it's healed but I still have raised skin right across my fingerprint


Without hesitation I googled it (if you have to think about it for more than a minute, you know it's going into google) and someone suggested using a nail file to even everything out - fantastic idea!! Now my finger is all level and you can barely see the cut.


I only realised half way through that i was also filing my FINGERPRINT away.. It's all so smooth..

Definitely a problem, I've covered it in Vaseline, and praying I'll have a fingerprint by tomorrow.


Oh dear..

I like this.

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”
Mark Jenkins

Get it moving

I have my international drivers license

I have my (12) official documents in order to get my visa

Visa appointment booked.

Bring it on US immigration dude..

Fun times with the US Governement

I am petrified of the US government. As well as US officials, customs people and any American in uniform.
Its just not like England, they have GUNS. No laughing matter.
In England we'll accept the odd murderer/convict into the country, for fear of insulting someone lest we not be truly British and polite.
In the US you are literally a criminal until proven otherwise.
On past family holidays, all I remember about the airport are the US customs officials and their cold dead stares as I shook through security queues. 'They aren't even kind to kids..' I thought.

Obviously, living in the US for a year, I'll need a visa. I hadn't really thought about this step in the process, didn't think things would be moving so fast. But indeed, the other day I was advised by the agency to call the US embassy.
The conversation pretty much went as follows..

'I'll need to take your name?'
'Nicole. Uh Nicole Allen, sorry Nicole, C.. Wait! Do you need my initial too? Sorry, uhh Nicole. C Allen. Sorry.. sorry.'
'..... Alright. And how will you be paying your non-refundable visa payment today?'
'Sorry, uh excuse me? I didn't realise..'
'You pay for the visa now, whilst you book the appointment'
'But what if.. what if I, what happens if I don't get a visa?'
'Well then its non-refundable Nicole C Allen.'

Off to a cracking start.
I then got all the way through to the end where she was confirming the interview, when my phone lost signal and cut me off. Perfection.
I called back, only to find the same delightful woman who loathed me answer again.
Anyway I booked the appointment, paid the £100 NON REFUNDABLE visa charge and now I have 13 documents I need to get ready before I go to the interview, which is in a couple weeks. Hurrah!
If that's how successful the phone call went, I'm.. interested to see what goes down at the actual interview..

The situation..

So I'm kind of moving to California.. For a year.
Yea.
For those of you who had no idea what I'd been planning (i.e everyone)
The story..

In June, I discovered a program called AuPairCare. Basically, in exchange for me providing 9 hours of childcare a day, the agency and 'host family' cover:
My return flights, 4 day training in New York, house & food, health & travel insurance, AND for me to take a college course during the year.
Sounds incredible.. and too good to be true. But after investigation, I discovered the program was totally legit and stuff.

The application process is l o n g g g g; I had to submit 10 documents including medical health form, CRB, police visa check, personal/childcare references, proof of 'good character' (whatever that is) just to apply.
I then had an interview in London, psychometric testing and various other long winding questionnaires.
The next hurdle was completing my online profile for families to choose me - naturally, I wanted my profile to be way better than every other au pair on the site. This involved creating a video to demonstrate my childcare skills (easier said than done), writing a letter to my potential host family (ditto), and filling in a 10 page form to complete my online profile.

Needless to say its taken me 2 months to get everything done, and I just got accepted to the program at the start of July. Awesome.

The next step was to find a family who wanted me as their au pair for the year. This was a crucial step for me, because a family would make or break my time in the US, I really prayed hard that an amazing family would find me. At this point I had no idea where I would be going in America, the agency were sure to repeatedly warn me that there 'Was more to the USA than Florida, NY and California, be prepared to go and love somewhere unexpected'.

But the day after being accepted to the program, my profile went live and I woke up to an email from a family that wanted to speak with me..
'Hello from New York City!!' - I went crazy and was so excited I could hardly breathe. I ended up skyping with this family a couple times. But it didnt work out, they wanted me sooner than I could come, since I'm nanny for 2 girls in London until October.

The next family to contact me were in Virgina, things just never really went anywhere with them. I tried to organise a time to talk but they never got back to me (odd since they requested an interview but whatever).

But then.. A family in Berkeley, CA contacted me, and they are AMAZZZINGGGG. They seem so wonderful, welcoming, and sweet, with similar values and interests. In this process I've always wanted a family who will really welcome me into the fold (excuse the Godfather cliche). I dont just want to nanny in america, I want the whole experience of being an au pair. To form a bond with a family, and have them show me around and just be able to be comfortable with them etc. This family seem so fantastic its made me even more excited to go. After they asked me to be their au pair I ran around the house screaming my head off.. Great family AND great location. S C O R E.
And that's basically where I'm at right now. I've started this blog so I can update all of you that care :) and you can hopefully share in this exciting time with me!
Next hurdle.. US Government.. Shudder. I have to get my visa.