Moving to a new country is a process full of paperwork. Jason did it all in 2006/2007 when he moved to Canada. I started this process last July and it will continue for a while yet.
When I was at home in BC last month, I got my driver's license renewed because it will expire in April and I will not be there. I also got passport pictures done and plan to renew my Canadian passport since it will expire in October.
Here is the (longwinded, sorry) summary of my last few days in Boulder... scrambled as they have been.
FRIDAY: I presented myself to Customs and Immigration with my I-94, authorization to work and authorization to travel documents. This went smoothly.
MONDAY morning I had two tasks in town: get a Colorado Driver's License and get a Social Security Number. I need the former in order to make our car insurance renewable. I need the latter in order to work and to open any bank accounts. The DMV opened at 8am and the SS office opened at 9am.
DMV visit #1: 7:20am: pack Rachel up and drive her in the cold and snow to the office. Drive around looking for the office for many minutes before realizing it is inside the dingy little mall with no government office markings whatsoever. Arrive at 8:05am behind a few people. Go to counter when my number is called, start the process, take the vision screening test, yes I want to be an organ donor, verify all my ID and my address. Am I willing to surrender my BC license that I just paid $75 to renew or would I like to schedule a written driver's test and road test in CO? I'll surrender the BC license and kick myself for bothering to renew it. Do I have a SSN? No, stop. No, I don't have a social security number. That office doesn't open until 9am.
"Sorry ma'am. Next. Number 484"
8:25am.
SS visit #1: Pack Rachel in car with blankets, coats, hat, gloves, books, ID flowing all around me. Drive to SS office. Many people are waiting in their cars as the office opens at 9:00am. Rachel and I are singing songs. At 8:43am, a lady goes to front door and waits. By 8:45am, nine other people are in line and I'm scrambling to get Rachel out of her carseat. Can't find my wallet! Oh no! (Rachel repeats 'Oh No!'). Did I leave it at DMV? Shoot!!! It's got my new BC license, Canadian passport, birth certificate, I-94 card, all my other cards... NO NO NO! And then I looked on the roof. There was my frozen wallet, safely tucked away under my roof rack covered in ice but safe. Must have put it up there in my scramble to load Rachel into her carseat after the DMV. So, we grab the wallet, bundle Rachel up, and stand in line outside for 15 min. We count the cars in the parking lot 30 times and sing loads of songs loudly to annoy the others in line. 9:00am We go in, we take a number, we wait. We get called, we fill out forms, we answer questions, Rachel empties my wallet all over the office, we complete the process. The card will be mailed to me in 2 weeks. If I want the number sooner, I can come back tomorrow and they can tell me the number. (Hey social security, seems like an easy thing to do on-line and save time and manpower, no?!)
TUESDAY
SS visit #2: Tuesday morning, 8:20am, leave house in snow, drive 10mph to office. Arrive at 9:00am due to slow snow conditions, enter, take a number. Wait. Read books to Rachel. Rescue Rachel from running past security guard 10 times. Eventually get called to counter. Given number. Leave.
Tuesday after SS visit, Rachel was dropped off at daycare so I could attend an interview for a while. She did so well saying goodbye that I thought I might have time to go to the DMV before my interview.
DMV visit #2: Doesn't look too busy. Get number. Wait patiently in a chair by myself without having to read books or entertain Rachel. Go to counter when my number is called, start the process, take the vision screening test, yes I want to be an organ donor, verify all my ID and my address, yes I have a SSN, yes, yes, yes... no I don't have cash to pay. I only have a credit card. That's great that there's an ATM in the mall but I don't have a debit card because I can't open a bank account in this country yet because I only just got my social security number. No I don't have a check book.
"Sorry ma'am. Next. Number 893."
Go to interview (in Longmont), drive to Jason's school (in Lafayette), get cash from him, drive back to DMV (in Boulder).
DMV visit #3: too busy. No way I'll get to the counter before I have to pick up Rachel. Give up and leave.
Drive to daycare. Pick up Rachel. Rachel did great at daycare. Yay!
WEDNESDAY
Jason has the car for a meeting in the morning, comes home at 8:45am and we drive him to school. Drop him off, drive to the DMV. Rachel falls asleep in car. Sit in parking lot at DMV for almost an hour while Rachel sleeps before I start making noises in hopes to wake her up. 10:15am go in.
DMV visit #4: Doesn't look too busy. Get number. Sit in chair, read books, Rachel waves to everyone in office and wants to run around. Go to counter when my number is called, start the process, take the vision screening test, yes I want to be an organ donor, verify all my ID and my address, yes I have a SSN, yes, yes, yes... yes I have cash. Rachel plays with vision screening equipment and I get dirty looks. We pass this part of the process and are told to sit back down and wait for the picture taker to be ready. It looks like about 10 people are in front of us there. Rachel wants to run around. Entertain Rachel. Finally get called, go to counter holding coats, gloves, hat, wallet, book. Answer same questions. Show ID again. Rachel complains and wants to run around. Time to take my picture. I put all our stuff on the floor and hold Rachel at my waist so she won't be in the picture. I'm wearing a hoodie. Not allowed to wear a hoodie. Must put Rachel down to take off hoodie. Rachel runs. Helpful saint of a lady grabs Rachel, holds her, asks if she can help by holding Rachel while I get my picture taken. I thank her. I smile for my picture. I receive my BC driver's license back with a hold punched through it because it's now 'on hold' and my Colorado driver's license will come in the mail in the next two weeks. Return to car, put Rachel in car seat, make sure I have my wallet, drive to grocery store.
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