Twenty-Fine/Soon Pt. 2

5 months later and I’m back. And what a five months it’s been.

But before I get into that, happy birthday to me! I’m 29 years old today. Thank you Father for your blessings and for allowing me to see another year of life.

I’m truly grateful because it seemed like there was so much that could’ve led me astray this first half of the year. It definitely wasn’t easy. But God is good man.

Let’s Rewind

Towards the end of last year, I was doing my thing with writing. I was (and still am) having fun learning what it means to be a content writer. I’ve had some articles published and felt like I was in a good space.

But the one thing that was on my mind was back home. Nothing was wrong, but I was missing my family and friends. Although I was home in June 2021, it didn’t feel like much of a trip.

So I made the plan to go home for about two weeks for Christmas and New Years. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to.

I caught Covid three days before my flight, and maaaan, I was devastated. It was so frustrating because I had so much planned. My mom told me to hold on a little longer; my dad hit me with his usual “Soon, son.”

I did make the best of it, though. My girlfriend and I celebrated our first Christmas in our new apartment. We had on the matching pajamas and everything (y’all will never see those pics, by the way).

But although I was homesick, I didn’t know how much more I’d go through in the coming months.

Time to Fast Forward

I’m going to bring you to March real quick. January and February were some interesting months, but March was where the “soon” part of this story comes in.

Just to give you some quick insight, each year, I need to renew my visa with a specific permission so I can live here. Usually, if you do it five or six weeks before it expires, you should be good to go.

But the way my anxiety works, I was let me submit it two months before just in case there’s a delay. And I did, right before St. Patrick’s Day.

In the meantime, I booked another flight back home for two weeks at Easter, thinking that I’d get my visa acceptance by then (Thank you again for the gift Ken). The process doesn’t take long, but then a month and a half passed, and I didn’t hear anything.

Obviously, I had to cancel my Easter trip. But I pushed it out until June, hoping that I would be able to go then.

There were days when it was hard to focus, but God really kept me. Instead of worrying about what wasn’t happening, I kept my eyes on the blessings he was providing.

I started working with a non-profit called Innumeris that focuses on helping Irish student-athletes land scholarship opportunities in the USA. I also landed two additional writing gigs. The court and weight room became my sanctuaries, aiding my ability to stay mentally, physically, and spiritually strong.

But I’m human.

So I sent an email asking for an update and was told there was a 6-month delay in processing applications.

At this point, you could imagine the panic. It’s mid-April; my visa is expiring in six weeks, and I’m not sure what to do.

But in that same email, they told me I could apply for an extension while they were working on my initial application. I’m sure you could imagine my reluctance; why would that extension come any quicker?

When I spoke to my parents, each conversation left me upset because I had no idea when I would see them. And it’s not that they couldn’t come over here; I just wanted a break from Ireland after being here continuously for almost a year. But I’m sure you know by now my dad’s favorite phrase; say it with me: ‘Soon, son.’

Present Day

A letter came in the mail last week telling me that I got that extension. I made an appointment to get my documents ASAP. It meant that I could at least travel and not be worried about coming back in the country.

My girlfriend took that picture of me yesterday after leaving the visa office. She was sarcastically saying I wasn’t showing emotion, so I gave a that smile and thumbs up.

I was happy, but I couldn’t express it in the way I wanted to.

BUT YA BOY IS COMING HOME NEXT WEEK, JU HEARD!!

I can’t wait.

Thank you, God, for keeping me throughout it all and for instilling your perfect peace in me. You’re an on-time God for real.

And thank you to my baby, family, and friends for your unmatched support. I can’t get through it without you.

What a birthday gift.

I’ll see y’all soon.

Peace and blessings.

CB