It might be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than to own a Nigerian passport and not have experienced Visa struggles.
Especially Rejection.
Honestly my camel had been fitting into the eye quite nicely
until last year when it’s hump hit a snag.
My friend was getting married in
Lake Como and I was going to be in London for summer anyway so I thought- why
not?
I have a 5 year British Visa and I had some miles on my one world account-
It made all the sense in the world to attend.
So I RSVP’d.
I called my trusted, never disappointing,
designer Karen of Flat 17 studio, to whip up some sultry baffs for the
occasion.
The Groom (who happens to be my friend) sent me the wedding
itinerary.
Beloved, I was ready.
So ready, that I holla’d my home girl who was currently
doing a masters degree in London at the time if she was down to plus one for
this wedding ( I had asked the groom- relax). She agreed.
So we decided to make a euro trip out of it. Visit our
friend who currently lives in Vienna, swing by Prague, you know the whole
works.
Took out hours from my employers time and drew up an
itinerary that started out in Berlin and ended up in Milan. A week of
traveling, wine tasting, car rentals. It was going to be the summer to die for.
The baffs were ready. The company was popping.
In the
immortal words of Skepta
“ I saw the turn up
button and I pressed it twice”.
All that was left was a Schengen Visa. Honestly it did not even occur to me that my
visa application might be rejected because I am a pretty seasoned traveler.
I’ve visited a bunch
of countries including France, Italy and Spain all in the last five years. I
had a current US and UK visa.
I had a confirmed ticket to London.
I am gainfully
employed in a multinational.
I can provide pay slips.
I had a tentative
itinerary.
As someone who has done maybe 50 visa applications, I was
ready.
Ready enough that I knew not to show up with my own passport
photo because- it is never good enough for the visa officers and you have to
take a new set of 4 for N1,500 inside the VFS hall.
Look, as I said, I know things.
Anyway fast forward to doing all of this, applying for the
visa, paying €60 but the Naira equivalent of roughly thirty something
thousand naira. I submitted my Visa and went on with my life.
Still scheming
and making more summer plans.
A week later, I got an email to come and pick up my
passport. I skipped, hopped, jumped to the Visa office and went to get my
passport. Opened the bag and skimmed through alas a sheet of paper fell out.
Color me confused. The officer distributing passports asked
me to apply again, and sooner rather than later.
I wanted to appeal
this rejection because – THE ACTUAL fuck?
I did not appeal.
Because the pull of possible enjoyment was
stronger than the indignation I felt at my rejection, I applied again.
Let me save you the stress. I got rejected again. But even
though I had addressed the reason for the rejection in the first application. I
got a different rejection reason, a literal check box.
So I took my sights of visiting the Schengen Area for some
time, while I licked my wounds and tried to get my camel through the eye of the
needle.
Fast forward to last week on twitter I came across a visa
rejection from the Swedish embassy that was so tastefully done. The reasons
were so pleasantly communicated, and the rejection seemed like it gave room for
open lines of communication eg appeal or whatever.
Anyway that is my Visa rejection story, but it is really not
why I have been away.
But,while I was away,
I visited IITA in Ibadan for a long weekend, London for Christmas, Morocco for
New years, Brazil for post carnival shenanigans and I’m set to jet to Houston
for a quick break.
So it’s not for lack on content. I was probably just pissed off about
the whole rejection thing.
I still am if I am a being honest.
Anyway I’m back now and I plan to be CONSISTENT.
And give you guys all tea on Morocco and coffee on Brazil And
also
speak on other travel things- like claiming miles across airlines.
and how I structure my travel plans at the beginning of the year.
Lets just say 2019 is going to be popping for the blog!
😊
How have you guys been?
2019 Q1 going according to plan?
Let me know!
