Received My National Insurance Number!

Title says it all. The application process for this was a little bit annoying though. I had to call them, which in itself was nerve-racking to me because I don't like ringing people. I got told to remember a reference number, and that an application package would arrive by post in the next 10 business days. Well, 10 business days had passed. Then 15. Then 20. I had to ring them again and describe what happened. Apparently, the reference number I had written down was wrong as well.

I was told that if I didn't receive the application package this time, I would have to go in for an interview...

An interview!? What questions would they ask me? Would they find a way to deport me!? Did I do something wrong?! What does this mean?!


Luckily I didn't have to worry because the application package came. I had to answer a lot of questions, as well as insert photocopies of my passport details/stamps and BRP information. I mailed that in, and about five days ago or so, I received a letter that included my National Insurance Number. So now I am able to officially work here. I do intend to work here, but this social anxiety makes it difficult for me to get motivated to go out there. Plus, I'm worried that when I get a job, I will end up working with people who will be like "Go back home!" "You don't belong here!" "The UK does fine without immigrants and illegals like you!" I'm worried about dealing with people like that. I am not an illegal. I spent like £2,000 and put together an encyclopedia-thick stack of documents. I jumped through the hoops. I even got my fingerprints scanned and still came here, so I am not a criminal. I came to the UK legally, and I'm working legally.

I would much rather just work at home. But so far I've found it difficult to do that. I'm hoping this blog can go somewhere, but I doubt it...

I've also been thinking about the next visa step a little bit. It is already stressing me out. It shouldn't, because I've got over another year left before I need to worry about it. And this time, I'll be with my husband. I'll most certainly log my next visa experience here.

Seeing With British Eyes

I have been recently visiting the optician. The reason for that is that I'm a contact lens wearer. The contacts I have brought over from America have all been used up, so I have been recently making the switch to British contact lenses. I'm wearing a pair right now, in fact. The optometrist has managed to find a pair of contact lenses that are very similar to my old ones. The only difference is a change of material (not that I can feel). They're £13 a month or £30 for a three month pack.

Going to the appointment initially was a bit nerve-wracking because I did not know

• How much they'd cost
• If they'd have a pair that would suit me
• If they'd be able to help because I'm like 20/500
• If the optometrists/opticians would be open and friendly
• If they'd have an equivalent measurement system

Well, all that was proved wrong. I expected they'd cost between £100-£500 plus the eye exam. The eye exam was free, though. (via Specsavers). I've been to a British doctor before, and it was much more formal and less warm when I went. (Had an ear infection when I was visiting here a few years ago) So that led me to believe that when I got my eye exam, I would feel more like "another patient" than an actual person. I'd like to establish personal relationships with any doctor I meet. I don't want to feel like "another patient" I want to feel welcome. (Is that weird of me to say?) 

Anyway, first I went in and had a brief eye exam from the optician...learned my right eye is much weaker than my left. Then I went in again to get my eyes rechecked by an optometrist, where he assisted in determining the best pair of contact lenses for me. Since I'd brought the package containing my American contact lenses, he was able to easily and quickly find an equivalent pair for me. I was given a pair of contacts to try for a trial, and I've been wearing them for four days and they've been great for me. I see just as well as with my older pair and they feel just as comfortable. I was given an interesting case though...instead of the flat one, it was a sort of capsule one. Apparently it cleans them better.

Though I've found it weird that I've had to book three separate appointments. The first was for an initial eye test plus a consultation. The one I had a few days ago was to try on contacts. The one I will have on the fourth of July will be a follow-up checkup to (hopefully) finalise everything.

All-in-all though, it's very similar to eye appointments in America. The only difference is, here, it appears as though insurance isn't needed to cover expensive appointment costs. From what I've been told, the first eye exam is free but after that it's only £35. And £13 a month? That's less than my Adobe Premiere subscription. That's a lot less than my phone bill. I'll take that. Hell yeah!

I've always thought it would be cool to try out coloured contacts so that I could alter my eye colour. But I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon...

(by the way if you cannot read this, maybe YOU should go to Specsavers and get contacts too hahahahah)



Also irrelevant note, but this entry and the last one were published at the same time...

Been Thinking...

I've been here in the UK nearly seven months now. I'm definitely not having any regrets, and I'm still really happy to be here with my husband. Lately, though, I've been thinking about my family back home in America. I'm not majorly homesick, but I've been thinking about them quite a lot. I know it's possible to go and see them, that's what is keeping me from feeling too homesick. I've been thinking about all of them, particularly my mom, stepdad, granny, and dad. What I've been thinking about the most though, is my dad. My dad lived in a different state from me growing up, so I rarely got to see him. I have to admit, I feel a sort of regret for not being there in his life. I did get to see him during summers and occasional Christmas breaks, but that wasn't enough I feel. I was pretty close to my dad, but since he was in another state, I did not get to see him much. And right now I'm wishing I had gotten a chance to see him more before I came to the UK. He was there for my wedding in May, but that was only a day. I wish I could've had more days to spend with him. I would definitely love to see him when I go back to the states, but I do not want to not see mom either. I doubt he'll see this, but if he does at some point, I just want to apologise, Dad. I wish we'd gotten to see each other more often. I'm really missing you right now :( I wish I could've visited you a lot more growing up. Now that I'm in another country, it makes it even harder to find a chance to get to see you. I would love to see you again, though. My worst fear is that I won't get the chance to see him, and then before I know it, I lose him. I'm sorry, I'm just wishing I had the opportunity to have him be involved in my life a lot more...

I needed to get this out there, though. Not just to express my feelings, or to highlight on the potential homesickness, but to hopefully serve as a reminder to other people: spend as much time as you can with your dads. You never know when they're going to leave your life. Especially if you are in an expat situation like I am. Spend as much time with your family as you can. Don't leave your respective country with any sort of emptiness regarding your family. Make sure you get closure. Because once you move to another country, seeing your family becomes more difficult. Jobs keep adults busy, so they don't get much time to see their families. But if they're in another country, that just makes more loopholes for us to hop through - namely through the inevitably expensive flight prices. But I know one thing: if I had the ability, I would have gone to visit him a lot more. There was nothing I could've done, though, unfortunately. I'd had school or college to keep me busy. I didn't have a license, so I couldn't have gone to see him whenever I wanted. But if I could have....I would have. I love you, Dad.



How fitting, too, I just realised Father's Day is coming up this month. This wasn't even my intention.



I'm just going to leave this here...it's a fitting song to how I feel: