One Day.

Well, so I completed my paperwork. The part I could do, at least. I made copies, had them notarized (at a bank - that's where the notaries are!), and had them stamped by the SC Secretary of State. The copies cost 50 cents, the notary was free, the seal from the Secretary of State cost $2 each. I have only 2 documents that need to be authenticated: my teaching certificate and my Masters degree. This makes everything easier...and cheaper.

By noon (inclusive of about 2.5 hours chasing from one government building to another before I discovered I just needed to go to a bank to find a notary) I was done. I went to the post office, got a money order for $16 to authenticate my documents at the State Department, and paid to have everything overnighted (both there and back) to DC.

It may take 3 weeks for the State Department to process my request and send my bits of paper back...so that I can send them to DC again, this time to the UAE Embassy. This mailing back and forth will take a bit of time, but I should have everything in order by the end of March. And really, the first half of my authentication process only took one day.

That is pretty stellar, and quite an improvement from the several weeks horror stories I heard from last year's applicants. One of the perks of living in a state capital.

***

Later this week I am actually going to start packing. I have 2 suitcases. They are the ones I bought when I moved to the UK (speaking of which, I turn green with envy each time I read the Teach Away discussion threads created for UK/Ireland applicants. I want to meet up with everyone in London too! /whinge) and are pretty massive. Also they're excellent for packing. And wheeling through airports. Well, wheeling up to the check-in desk, at least. Sturdy too. And I have stuff that I'm pretty determined to take with me that I shan't be needing before I go (my boots - which I really won't need until Christmastime, when I plan to go to London - a few bits of clothes that don't currently fit but which I love too much to give up, personal records), so why not store it away in my luggage?

But that's for later. For now, it's all about the paperwork.

Also reading books.

And studying Arabic a bit.

And detoxing.

And going to the gym.

And doing facebooky stuff.