I really believe in this quote. I’ve been so busy lately that my time is planned to the tenth of a second. And then life throws you a curveball and you realize that we really have no control over what can happen every minute of our lives.

Last night I got home and there was this manila envelope in the middle of the living room floor, in the pile of mail I get every day. I decided to sit on the floor to sort through my mail (I never do that but there was too much to sort this time and I was in a hurry so I thought it would be more efficient). I’m sorting through all the mail order catalogs and then I glance over at the manila envelope and see the stamp: US Consulate in Rio. Shit! That can’t be. I open it and there’s a stack of papers. I start reading the first one and it seems like they are just letting me know about some additional documents I’ll need when I go for my greencard interview at the end of summer.

See, my company is sponsoring my greencard and I chose to do it via the consulate, which is riskier but faster, and it also means I have to go to Brazil for the interview. I knew that it could happen in very short notice but I had planned to buy an open ticket and be ready in August-September to pick up and go any minute (that portion of the process was filed 3/6 with the consulate in Rio and the lawyers told me it would be at least 6 months until I got my interview). And that’s when God laughed…

I turn the stack of papers over and realize I was reading the last page. And what do I see on the first page? Interview Date: 22-May-2002 8:30 AM at the Consulate in Rio. My heart stopped! I started calculating in my head. Oh shit! That’s less than two weeks away. Yep, and that’s why I’m on my way to Brazil this Sunday. One day to wrap things up at work and one day to pack and get all my shit together for the interview. Planning? Who needs it?

Stumble it!