Just like Failure, Success is usually associated with schoolwork. I could talk about numerous reports and exams, but my favorite success story happened recently, in November of 2013. It’s quite a crazy, spontaneous, whimsical story – but, then again, remember who’s typing.
After being accepted to go to Paris to study, I followed all of the instructions one of the institutions involved in the program gave to complete the process – especially the instructions to get a Visa. The first institution told us to get an appointment at the embassy right away, which I did. Then, two days later during the weekend, the second institution in Paris told us the REAL instructions. You needed to first fill out a few forms on a website and wait at least three weeks after sending all the forms in to schedule an appointment.
Whoops.
I had already scheduled an appointment in three weeks and had a ticket to Paris already! And, as per usual with government websites, the French website that we had to fill forms out on was down. I asked ten of my friends, some in different countries, to see if they could access the website. They couldn’t. I just said to myself, “Okay, just reschedule your appointment to late December.” Uhm, I CAN’T! All of the dates at the NY French embassy were booked until mid-January. Classes start mid-January! What could I do? I emailed everyone on the French website, but they all told me the same thing, “The site works,” “Change your browser,” “We make no exceptions.”
On a whim, I decided that I needed to go to Washington D.C. that night so that I could go to the French Embassy there and somewhat appeal to their human nature because their site really was not working. I decided this at 12 am and bought a ticket on the Amtrak for 3:30 am. I packed my bag, wrote emails to my professors to explain that I wouldn’t be in class that would send at a better time than 12 am, gathered all of my documents, including proof that the site was not working, and went to Penn Station.
I arrived in D.C. by 7:45 am. The embassy was not going to open until 9 am. So, I passed my time and then went straight there. I was able to have a quick meeting with someone there, thankfully, and explained to them my situation that I made a mistake by scheduling an appointment early (I showed them the form that said to do that from one institution) then learning that I needed to in fact do this website first (showed them the second form) and that I was in a panic since their website was down and the NY consulate had no more free openings until mid-January when classes start and because I already had a ticket. This incredible woman was so understanding as she knew their site was down and was shocked that I came down all the way from NY to fix my situation. We exchanged contact information, and she assured me that she would help as she took all of my required documents. Success.
I was done at about 10:15 am. I had about 4 more hours until my train ride home. I know this is a crazy story, but I showed myself that when there’s a will, there’s always a way. We’re all human. So, I spent the next four hours exploring our nation’s capital with a smile on my face knowing that I was going to be able to go to Paris when I thought I would and knowing that I can in fact do anything that I set my mind to. Sometimes being spontaneous and whimsical really pays off.
