Getting my visa for Hungary was a surprisingly easy experience. I’ve only needed a visa once before — when I studied in Italy — and that was very official and formal: you had tons and tons of paperwork, a very busy visa office with many workers at the Italian Embassy, and about a month’s wait. The Hungary Embassy here in D.C., however, was extremely laid back — I signed a few papers, gave them my Fulbright letter and a passport photo, and in less than two weeks, I had my visa (word to the wise: don’t get passport pictures taken after a day wandering in the “lovely” Washington summer … I look rather sweaty, sketchy and annoyed in mine.)

But despite the relative ease of this official business, I found myself rather discombobulated as I drove home from the Embassy. Instead of going to my apartment in Arlington, I mindlessly cruised off in the other direction, and was well into downtown D.C. before I realized what I was doing. It wasn’t that I was lost — although, admittedly, that is a common enough occurrence — but rather the fact that I actually had the visa in hand, which made the pre-travel nerves go haywire.  Having the visa, I think, made this whole crazy pick-up-your-life-and-move decision seem very close. And, not a little scary. I’m excited, of course, but this will be the most “alone” I’ve ever been — the last trip abroad came complete with 20 other lovable Georgetown students, so it was more like an extended vacation than a real living-life-abroad, find-yourself adventure — so nerve attacks are to be expected, I suppose. My M.A. classmate and good friend, Carolyn, who will be a Fulbright ETA in Bulgaria, said she is going through the same thing, so we talked it over during lunch. Getting together with her always makes me more excited, because we can plan our joint break-time jaunting (we’ve already settled on taking the ferryboat from Bulgaria to Istanbul this spring!) and helps me remember that, while going to Hungary is very scary, there is something much more scary than moving alone to a country where I don’t speak the language: being the type of person who would be too scared to do it.

So, to sum up in the style of MasterCard commercials ….

  • Driving around in a mild Pre-Departure Panic: $5 in wasted gas
  • Lunch with Carolyn at overpriced Georgetown deli: $12.83
  • Visa to Hungary: Free (thanks, federal government!)
  • Knowing you’re about to have a grand adventure: Priceless.