Finally! :-)

Four weeks ago, I mailed my application for a visa to the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic, located in Washington, DC. I had been told that visas usually take about ten days to process. The day that my package arrived at the embassy, I got a voicemail from the embassy. Despite the fact that their website did not say to include a prepaid envelope for them to use to return my passport, they wanted to let me know that I needed to send them one. The year-long visa for Kyrgysztan costs $300. Surely out of that they could've spotted me some postage... but no. Anyway, I called back, just to confirm that there wasn't anything else they needed. I called the main number for the embassy, and began by saying I recently applied for a visa, and was told I needed to include a prepaid envelope... at which point the man who had answered (remember, this was the main embassy phone number) said, Oh, you're Jane Keeler! I learned that all I needed to do was to send them the envelope, and I'd be good to go. I sent off my prepaid envelope the next day, and expected my passport with Kyrgyz visa to appear in my mailbox within the week. Three weeks later I began to panic. I called the embassy several times (during working hours) and no one answered. I left messages, inquiring as to the status of my visa... and got no reply. I sent an email to the London School, my soon-to-be employer in Kyrgyzstan, explaining my situation, and received the following reply:

I think there is a problem. Because visa procedure takes usually not more then two weeks. You need to check if they receive your passport and your visa application. Maybe through some related USA organizations. Because sometime Kyrgyz Embassy people might be irresponsible.

I read that and immediately started saying oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Luckily, at that point I called the embassy one more time, and that time, someone answered. Like the first time I called, the woman who answered immediately knew who I was and why I was calling. She reassured me that my visa would be finished that afternoon, and they would send it off the following morning. I was intensely relieved, although I continued to stress over it until this afternoon. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my passport has been returned to me, complete with Kyrgyz visa!

(I blacked out the important numbers...)

Also, in case anyone is interested, I'll be leaving for Kyrgyzstan on December 30th. I'll be flying Jacksonville-Chicago-Istanbul-Bishkek, and I'll be arriving in Bishkek at 2:10am on January 1st, Kyrgyz time.