East Coast Ramblings of a West Coast Girl

Here's the story: So, I had an appointment at the French Consulate on 74th Street for my visa for 12:15. OK? Ok.

I leave around 11:30 to get up there so I take the subway, but it takes the train, like, 10 minutes to come by. So, getting antsy, I decide I want to take a cab.

I get on the cab. We go up 3rd avenue, la dee dah...and then in a few minutes we get up to 30-something, or something, and I am like "OK, ok, this is good. This is good..."

But WHAM there's the MOST TERRIBLE TRAFFIC EVER. The cabbie keeps talking to me, so I'm like ok, ok. But minutes, fifteen minutes, twenty, thirty...pass. We're stuck between 50/51st streets for what seems like forever (15 minutes). It starts to rain, I can't get out, even if I wanted to. Don't want my papers to get wet, do I?

I start to cry. I've already missed my appointment by 45 minutes and there is no way that they will let me do anything, but I want to try regardless.

I eventually get to 74th and Madison.

The taxi fare was $36.

I get out and see that there's just this French flag hanging on some building and it says "VISA LINE" So I stand there, but the door is locked. I go to the door next to it and knock and I'm like "where's the consulate?" This big black security guy (2x my size) tells me to go to 5th ave. So I go, but I can't find anything and I'm frantic. REALLY FRANTIC. I've just had so much stress piled on me...

A lady in front of her building asks me, "Are you ok? Do you need help finding something?"

YES! Please tell me where to do the visa thing...I was just a little late (ok, more than a "little") and I started to bawl. She tells me I was at the right place, so I go back and I knock on the door.

The big security guard feigns sleep and he doesn't get to me. Five minutes later, he comes out, blocks me and says sternly, "we're closed. Go away and make an appointment online."

"No, you see, I had an appointment...there was just this issue and..."

"We're closed."

"But..."

"No."

So I walk away and cry a little on 74th Street between Madison and 5th Avenue. A UPS guy looks at me like I'm crazy. Maybe I was crazy, I was just under so much pressure. I wasn't sure if I'd get another appointment before I leave for California (because I did the paperwork for the New York embassy, you know? And I certainly don't want to go to downtown LA to do this -- it's worse than getting uptown!). But my roommate was able to get me an appointment on the 11th. Yes, a mere 4 days before I go back home. It's cutting it close.

I walked through central park to the west side. Met a friend. Had linner and chat chat chat, before I know it, it's later than I wanted it to be. I'm like, I have to go, I have to go. Ruby Foo's has terrible fortune cookies and terrible miso soup, FYI. So I'm like I really, really have to get back. You know how much work I have to do for this weekend!? For the remainder of my time here, and do so i can not work so hard on my birthday weekend!? Yeah. Well, I get frantic again. Results in my mother calling me, and her trying to get me to be reasonable.

Remember the deep breaths I told you about?

I have to remind myself to do that.

PS: I saw Michael Cera (AKA my love, AKA George Michael!) on Broadway shooting something. Aaah, he's so awkwardly cute. :)

Jessica's words of advice: Plan ahead. Everything can be very stressful, but you have to remember not to freak out. Or else that just wastes more of your time.