Almost the worst day ever (and longest post ever)

Today, it seemed like any good fortune I had finally wore itself out. The day went from bad to good to worse to better all in a matter of hours.

My day began at approximately 9:01 when I received a text from Maia asking me if I was still going into Boston. We had planned the day before to take the 9 am bus and to meet each other at the bus stop. When I first read her text, I was so confused. Then I saw the time and my heart sank. I frantically called her as I ripped off my pajama pants and threw on some jeans. At 9:04, I was at the bus stop, one of the last people to board. I made it, much to my relief. I had an appointment set with the Brazilian consulate and if I missed it (1) I couldn't go to Brazil and (2) I would never hear the end of it from my dad.

So I am sitting on the bus when I finally realize that I am wearing a Mickey Mouse t shirt, a ragged hoody, and no bra. At first I was just thankful to be on the bus, but the more I thought about it, I was nervous that the people at the consulate would think I was absolute trash. I had a scheduled meeting right? I assumed I should look nice. So Maia, being both a god send and my size, suggested that she switch outfits. After we got off the T, we ran into Au Bon Pain, bought some muffins, and ran into the bathroom to switch outfits. It honestly must have been hilarious for bystanders. There were only two bathrooms and neither were designated for a specific sex. So they witnessed two college age girls, going into a bathroom while talking about muffins, and coming out in each others clothes. Nice.

SO THEN we finally arrived at the consulate at 10:20 am. Turns out, having a scheduled meeting means nothing in these places. It's more like a first come, first serve deal. And it also would have been perfectly acceptable for me to not have switched outfits because it would have been nicer than half of what other people were wearing. Oops. We waited in line and when we finally reached reception, I was given a number. They told me to wait for my number to be called, then go up to the window they call it from. Only one problem: they were calling the numbers in Portuguese. I know 1-10 in Portuguese, and to be honest, I don't even think I say them right. I had no confidence whatsoever that I would hear and distinguish "G-72" out of all the numbers called. I called my dad and made him say it a few times for me so that I could recognize it.

Not much happened for the next few hours, unless you count extreme boredom, Nancy Drew Mad Libs, and harassing Emily via text message. The point is, we waited FOR HOURS. Around 1:30 I asked someone when my number would be called and or if I had just missed it by accident. She said they were about to call 70, so I didn't have to wait long. Luckily, that lady ended up with my number so she called me in English. (By the way, I have to say: being unable to speak languages is probably the most frustrating thing in my opinion. I feel so helpless when I hear everyone talking and I am sitting there with no idea about what's going on...)

This is when it gets AWFUL. Okay, I will try to simplify this. Basically, the Brazilian passport that the embassy issued me in 2004 gave the wrong birthday. It said I was born March 6, 1997 (apparently, no one ever noticed this until now). I am sorry, but I do not want to be 13 again. Anyway, no one has any idea why this happened, but since it was wrong, the consulate needed confirmation of my age with Brazilian documentation. In other words, my American passport meant nothing to them. I don't have a Brazilian birth certificate either, so there was really nothing they could do for me. They called the embassy in Washington, and because I didn't register with them after my 18th birthday I am no longer a citizen.

That's right folks. I found out that I am no longer a dual citizen. First of all, that's crushing, especially because I have recently become really invested in finding out more about Brazilian culture. It also scared the living daylights out of me because my dad basically had to tell me that I probably wouldn't be going to Brazil anymore. That depressed me LIKE WHOA. The thought of an entire summer in Salt Lake City almost made me start crying in the middle of the consulate. I had been looking forward to this trip for a really really long time, and it seemed like all my hopes and dreams about how amazing it would be were slowly evaporating.

The woman at the consulate wasn't helping either because she was basically telling me everything I would have to do to register, and it seemed harder than going to hell and back. I would have to go to DC, find two witnesses, and provide a ton of documentation, which would take much more time than this summer would allow for. After she told me there was nothing more she could do, Maia and I left. No results after almost 5 hours of waiting. I almost wish I had slept in.

Very soon after, my dad called with encouraging news. Because I am over 18, I can travel with my American passport and a Brazilian Visa. So basically, I will just be going to Brazil as a tourist instead of a citizen. Even though I do have to start the whole process over again, it's reassuring to know that I have a back up plan and that things still may work out.

Maia and I also stopped at H&M where she got some white shoes for me to decorate. It's the least I can do after she accompanied me through today. I wouldn't have been anywhere without her. I owe her big time.

Sorry this is such a long post. There was just so much to rant about. Hopefully, everything will be fine. I go home tomorrow and I plan on watching Beauty and the Beast and snuggling with my kitties. Wunderbar.