Ok, nothing to do is a big fat lie, but there's nothing time-critical and that feels just as strange. Since I wrote here last, this is what I've done: I've picked up my visa for Kazakhstan; I've prepared everything I can prepare for my Russian visa; I've had a practice run-through interview for my US resident visa (nope, still not a Communist, but thanks for making sure, again!); I've concluded (after a lot of internet confusion and following broken links) that there isn't a Kyrgyzstan embassy in New York, or at least not one that likes to speak to foreigners; I've learned that the Uzbeks can't send their Letter of Invitation this many days before I plan to enter the country, and that this means no visa for me; I've forgotten how to do the last clause of sentences that have tons of semi-colons. Do you use an 'and'? Oh well. I'll try to pick up Uzbek and/or Kyrgyz visas along the way and, if not, eh, it'll mean more time in other places.
My last pre-trip visa application can't start until the Russian LOI arrives in eight days. Once that gets here it's a race to get my passport into the embassy and back in my hand, but for now, nothing. And it feels weird. Without a pile of forms to fill out, I didn't quite know what to do with myself last weekend. I know it won't feel like this three weeks from now, but right this minute everything seems sorted. Visas and vaccinations are collected. The route is mostly plotted. I've got a spare battery for my camera (thank you Joel for both!). I know where my travel towel is. All that's left is to get some foreign currencies and something to read (and a US green card and a Russian visa and some phone credit and new socks and maybe an emergency coffee stash and I should probably get my kindle fixed and... one or two (hundred) other things) and I'm all set. 24 days.
My last pre-trip visa application can't start until the Russian LOI arrives in eight days. Once that gets here it's a race to get my passport into the embassy and back in my hand, but for now, nothing. And it feels weird. Without a pile of forms to fill out, I didn't quite know what to do with myself last weekend. I know it won't feel like this three weeks from now, but right this minute everything seems sorted. Visas and vaccinations are collected. The route is mostly plotted. I've got a spare battery for my camera (thank you Joel for both!). I know where my travel towel is. All that's left is to get some foreign currencies and something to read (and a US green card and a Russian visa and some phone credit and new socks and maybe an emergency coffee stash and I should probably get my kindle fixed and... one or two (hundred) other things) and I'm all set. 24 days.
