Finally, It Has Happened

Lidan and Brian in Lin'an

After one year and nearly five months since my fiance and I began the K1 Visa process that would allow her to come to the US she finally had her Visa interview at the consulate in Guangzhou, China.  All the waiting and hard work came down to a half-hour (or less?) interview with an unknown bureaucrat who could decide our fate on a whim.  Naturally, Lidan passed with flying colors as I knew she would.  How did I know this?  Because she kicks ass.  That’s how.

I am extraordinarily happy.  A week has passed since the interview, which has allowed me to temper my emotions so that my initial giddiness, which had me hopping around my room upon hearing the news, isn’t likely reflected in this post.  Nevertheless, I assure you, I am extraordinarily happy.

I am also very happy, and feel fortunate, as I’m sure does Lidan, that the interview and preceding days in Guangzhou were not nearly as stressful or difficult as we both feared.  In a less flawed world — one in which I either had significantly more money, or China was much closer — I would have been there with her to relieve the pressure, to keep her company, to soothe her nerves.  But I wasn’t, and I feared that being there alone would be difficult for her to bear.

Fortunately she wasn’t exactly alone.  The hotel she stayed at was apparently a common stop for those in her position.  The proprietors even have a website devoted to helping Chinese get through the visa process, and they had computers which Lidan used to contact me while she stayed there.  Even better, in my opinion, she had the opportunity to meet and befriend women going through the same trial she was.  They went to the consulate together, and all were approved(if I recall correctly), and that is just plain awesome.

To all those at the hotel and the others she met who helped her knowingly or not, I give a heartfelt thanks.  I hate that she’s had to do so much of this by herself (with aid from me through our chats), and was truly grateful that she ran across those kind people in Guangzhou.  So while I’ll probably never know their names, I feel indebted to them.  They helped make what we feared would be an agonizing experience into one that I believe was somewhat fun for her.

Now, however, comes more waiting.  Lidan works for a hospital that requires a two-month notice of leaving.  She’s decided to give them that notice, rather than cutting and running as she’d prefer not have that black mark against whatever record might be kept.  The two months won’t be so bad now that she has the visa and we no longer have to fret about possible rejection.  Still, I’d love to see her tomorrow rather than two months from now.