U.S. Embassy Visit

You know you've been traveling too much when you're running out of passport pages before it expires in 10 years. So, as K's personal secretary (since I don't have another job at this point in my life) I had to make an appointment online for the American Embassy here in Brussels to accompany his passport for the gluing session. My appointment was for 1:30, and with the horror stories of road work in Brussels, I thought I'd leave at noon to make sure I could find a parking space and be on time. Everything went so smoothly that I arrived at 1:00, thinking they would have some comfortable waiting room for us Americans living abroad. I would just sit and spend some quiet time reading a book waiting for my appointment.

No. Not the case. I arrived at 1:00 (while it was raining) only to have every guard there look at me as a suspected criminal. You can't walk on the sidewalk closest to the Embassy, but across a small street behind a fence. You can't go in early to read a book or magazine. You can't just walk in whenever you'd like, you wait to be called inside (yes, even in the rain). You can't take pictures of the outside of the building or your camera will be confiscated for the removal of pictures from your memory disc (my friend had this happen).

So, with umbrella in one hand, my purse guarded with another, I fumbled around to find my phone and call my husband to tell him he owed me one. I ended up waiting outside for the entire half hour while the rain never ceased for even one moment, but once inside I was treated nicely, didn't have to pay a single coin to use the water closet, and the lady gluing the new sheets even finished with her glue stick early! I only had to wait for 30 min. while it usually takes an hour. Now there's more room in K's passport for traveling - can't wait to see everyone in 14 days!!!