Dublin, or...

...how I almost got deported before ever leaving the airport.

Yes, you read that right.

from babypicturesphotos.com

That's how I felt (and looked for that matter) yesterday at about 12:30PM or so Dublin time. 

At approximately that time the Immigration Official (Mr. Grumpy) informed me that since I didn't have an official letter from MIC stating enrollment I was going to be sent back "to where I came from". (Which, I suppose, would have been Barcelona). 

Heart. Stopped. 

He refused to let me enter as a tourist (because I couldn't "be both student and tourist and I said I was a student and now I just wanted to change my story"?). I couldn't check my email because I couldn't register for 10 minutes of free wifi because I didn't have a cell phone for it to send my password to. I couldn't be escorted to a phone to call MIC because there was a line of people and, as Mr. Grumpy put it, "Did I expect all those people in line to wait on me to be escorted to a phone?" Also, he refused to give me my passport back. 

He told me to just go sit down. I did. I tried not to dissolve into a mess of salty water. 

After Mr. Grumpy and his partner, Mr. Unconcerned (now with his feet up on the desk - not kidding), had dealt with the other 12 or so people in line he waved me back up. He asked for the name of the school I was supposed to be enrolled at. Then he asked how much I paid for these classes I was supposed to be taking. He looked up the number, called MIC, and said "I have a young woman here by the name of Mari Lynn Thompson who is presenting herself as a student at your university for the semester but she doesn't have a letter."

OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE A LETTER. IT'S SOMEWHERE ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER AT HOME IN KENTUCKY WHERE I HAVEN'T BEEN FOR FIVE MONTHS. 

They confirmed my enrollment. As he began to stamp my passport eh said "You didn't present yourself very well here this morning."

Um, no shi* Mr. Grumpy. I've NEVER had to go through immigration when going from one EU country to another. I didn't know I needed the letter - I've been in Europe...

"And I am very very sorry." Truer words never spoken. 

Mr. Grumpy took my picture, gave me my passport back, further instrctions about having only a month to go to the local police station and get all my blah blah blah. 

I got my suitcase and dissolved into a salty water mess. 

Then, bus to Limerick where I met Emma. She's awesome. She brought me peanut butter. 

Baci,

Mari