Visum?

For the last couple weeks I've been 'nannying' for a couple girls up here in Flagstaff. Today we went down do Phoenix and went to Wet n Wild, and one of my good friends from high school came with us. I can't remember the last time I was at a water park! It was so much fun! Some of the slides took pictures like Disneyland does and like any smart [course I mean poor] college student, I took a picture of the picture :)

My internet at my house has not been working the past few days so the first thing I did when I got home was grab my computer and head to Barnes & Noble to study and rejoin the world on the free wifi. That's when I got some particularly annoying news from the DoDDS coordinator at NAU. It seems that the German immigration people have been having an issue with a student teacher living in Germany for more than 90 days on a tourist visa (tourist visas last only 90 days). Questions were raised with the previous student teacher and it is my understanding that the concerns were quelled quickly and she was granted permission to stay her full 120 days. So now having this rather important information it seems as though I have two and a half options.

1. I can apply for a visa to be in Germany for my full 16 weeks (the first 8 weeks are in my general education class and the next are my special education class). This way I get as much time as I want/can in Germany. Problem is I don't know if I'd be able to get a visa only because I'm only a student teacher. Plus I don't know how long that whole process would take and if I'd have time before I left (t-minus 44 days).

2. Okay, option two. I can plan to go for the full 90 days that I'm allowed to and then come back to the the zona [arizona] and finish up my special ed. placement. And the problem with this is I want to do all of my special ed. placement in one classroom. And the more obvious issue with this option is ummm. . . I won't be in Germany as long.

2 1/2. Now my favorite option, but it's not very realistic and don't ever see my parents going along with this idea. BUT.... I could just go to Germany and plan on being there for 16 weeks sans visa. Course this would mean I may have to pay an arm and a leg if in fact questions were being raised by the immigration people and I had to change my plane ticket and leave Germany earlier than planned.

Needless to say this wasn't the greatest news I could have gotten two days before I take two tests that determine my teacher qualification. But worrying won't help one bit! I know my momma's gonna help me straighten out this visa business asap :) love her!

-Linds

p.s. visum=visa in German :)