England is Great. Immigration is Awful.











Everyone do a little happy dance
in your sticky public transport seat on your commute,
or from your perch on the living room sofa,
or your creaky desk chair in your cubicle...
or wherever else you may be
as you read this...


Because after six weeks of the UKBA
(read: UK Border Agency)
loosing our birth certificates, marriage certificates, 
social security cards, residence cards, tax documents...
and, oh yeah, our passports-
they have finally been found
and delivered back to us!


And all you Americans
can also join me
 for a little added twirl
celebrating the special fact
that as of this weekend
 this trio will be on your continent
for a brief little tour of duty
before our Paris days begin.


.   .   .


Or comment below with the most awesome thing
that's happened to you this week
for a chance to (easily) top mine.






*photo by noah darnell for aspiring kennedy

27 comments:

  1. I was denied my FLR (from a student visa) when I was already married to my husband, and 8 months pregnant, because a form I had was 2 months old and needed to be newer. The UKBA is never, ever easy! Congrats!

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  2. I love this!

    I am hosting a giveaway on my blog that ends next week!
    http://20stampslater.blogspot.com/2014/01/favorite-things-giveaway.html

    Have a GREAT week!

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  3. Well...along those same lines my parents lost all of my documentation when I was 17 and it wasn't discovered until I was trying to get my passport for HIP. Apparently my birth certificate, SSI card and previous passport were all shoved in a folder in the depths of a filing cabinet at home and then vanished into thin air. Whoops.

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  4. I'm new to your blog and have been enjoying it! (Referred via Grace Patton...) I'm so glad everything has been found...what a relief! My passport is currently missing, but unfortunately it's my own doing (I put it in a "safe safe spot" and now I can't find it!) Ah, so frustrating! You give me hope that one day it will just turn up...fingers crossed! Safe travels visiting family and friends!

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  5. That is worth a happy dance! I am glad they finally found your documents; that must have been SO frustrating.
    - Rachel @ With Love, Rachel

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  6. This week while carefully putting away items on a shelf , one of the large Costco tin foil boxes fell and I caught it with my left though not so well. After appointments at the hospital etc. I was able to see a surgeon last evening who will operate put a plaster on and then have therapy this little adventure should take about 12 weeks! Though the Surgeon who I kept wanting to call Dr. instead of Mr. told me he has never seen a fracture quite like it! Oh the joys of being a Expat in the UK. though I do have my passport, papers and health care. Hoping for a much better week for you . I enjoy all your information and posts I am just new to the UK from Canada.

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  7. Every single time I come back into the UK there is a problem. Every single time! Last time they said my passport had been stolen. Which I was holding in my hand. Accused of stealing my own passport. They made it unusable and I had to get a whole new one. Ridiculous! Once time I got asked why I was coming to the UK. I said, "I live here." Then the agent looked at me and with a snarky voice said, "what do you mean you live here?" I mean I freaking live here! My VISA is right there. Have a look!

    Every single time there is a problem. Glad you got everything back. We're about to send EVERYTHING off to get my son British Citizenship. Which is a huge process since neither one of us are British ourselves. I just know they're going to lose something. I just know it.

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  8. so happy you have all your passports back!!! xo jillian - cornflake dreams

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  9. It may have been deliberate............... us Brits just don't like it when you leave.

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  10. I had MooMoo's Milkshakes three times this week. Beat that, immigration.
    (Also, yay for the Knight family!!! And Viola is really starting to look like you after months of being Tyler's spitting image!)

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  11. Have a very safe trip!!! So happy that everything was able to be worked out. Viola is so cute, and I love the picture, it literally made me laugh thinking about baby King George!!

    Xo-L
    simplylowcountry.com

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  12. Wow! I can't believe they lost all of that how nerve wracking! Glad you get to come back to the US for a bit...perhaps another blogger dinner is in store :)

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  13. SO glad they found everything! Sorry it rained on your Christmas plans, but hope this brings a much deserved fun trip!

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  14. Wow, that takes talent to lose all that! So glad you can return to the States & have that ordeal over with! Um, this has been a rough week so we'll go with baby snuggles. Always the best thing!

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  15. Thank goodness everything was found and returned to you! What a nightmare that must have been! The most exciting thing that happened over here was a Zara skirt being delivered to my doorstep, haha. You definitely win the most exciting award though! :)

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  16. That news is definitely worth a happy dance! My Dad is an Italian citizen (but lives here in the US) and I HATE whenever we have to go through the process of filing to renew his permanent residency - it's such a pain! So I feel your pain (since I'm the one who ultimately gets all his paperwork ready).

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  17. ah- what a relief. where in the US are you headed? so i'll keep up the theme of readily-toppable good news: our one-month old did not, i repeat did NOT pee through her diaper during this morning's nap. get excited.

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    Replies
    1. Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma & Hawaii!

      Pee-free is a PARTY!! ;)

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  18. This deserves more than a little happy dance!! SO glad you guys made it through yet another round of inveractions with Immigration and are able to go home for a bit!!!

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  19. I feel your pain. I grew up in Canada, then married an American. I spent most of last year (and the year before that) applying for a Green Card. Getting your documents back is the best feeling ever! Congrats!

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  20. I can't even imagine the awfulness of this whole matter. Only your whole identities at the hands of imbeciles.
    Viola just gets cuter every day btw.

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  21. Sounds like sooooooo much fun!!!
    I have nothing exciting to add...you're welcome ;)

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  22. Immigration troubles are the worst and UKBA doesn't make it any easier! Happy to hear they've returned your identities to you! x

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  23. Yay! That's great news! I would have totally freaked out and had a meltdown.

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  24. We opted to pay extra and get the in-person service at a UKBA office. Worth every pence - I was able to get a temporary version of my permanent resident card on the same day and my official card arrived in the mail just 4 days later. I won't be able to do anything in person to apply for my citizenship and UK passport, but at least I don't have to submit my US passport for this final stage. Phew!

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    Replies
    1. That is so nice! We did that on our last visa and it was glorious. This new type doesn't allow for any other way other than submission via post. Blargh

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