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We are in New York, baby! Oh yes we are. Sitting here actually still a bit in disbelief that this is where we are, even though we landed a week ago. It has all been a bit of a blur. After passports arrived and citizenship was granted and shipping went off to wait to be summoned to Oman and we were waiting to be summoned to Oman, it just all got a bit 'WHAT IS GOING ON?'. Well, it has been that way for a long time but I was reaching the end of my ability to live in the limbotown so I decided to make my own plan; namely, go to New York. 

Why New York, you may ask! Why not? I spent a weekend chasing the Pfizer vaccine in my wee car upstairs, downstairs and in his nightgown, having found out that Oman do not accept the Sinopharm vaccine going around Peru *just* at the moment they got to my age group for the vacunaton. Neither do the U.K. (Load of Big Pharma political nonsense if you ask me - surely a vaccine is a vaccine is a vaccine and we just want them in us so this absolute madness can stop and people can stop dying and we can all hug our parents? Surely?) So, I decided that we had to get the hell out of Peru and get me vaccinated and then see what the plan was from there to get to Oman. Back up plan was to stay in New York for three weeks, get double Pfizered and then go home to Scotland to wait it out there. (Obviously, secretly, I was hoping that the back up plan would be *the* plan because I'm oh so homesick and desperate to see our family.)

A genius plan, well received by friends, family and new employer. 

However. OF COURSE nothing is that bloody simple. Emilio, being declared a British citizen, does not have a British passport so cannot enter the U.K. What to do, what to do? Advice from the Home Office? Apply for an emergency travel document so that we can get back to Scotland quick smart and then we can do the passport application from there because it will take longer than normal, him being a new applicant and all. You'd think we would be used to waiting for stuff. *EYE ROLL*

So. Got in touch with British Embassy in Peru who told me to apply for his normal passport and, helpfully, informed me that he wouldn't be eligible for a visa now because he's allowed to get a passport. Thanks. I knew that and the bloody visa office is closed anyway! Can't wait for normal passport as it will take too long and we are travelling like, right now. 

'We will be in touch as soon as there is a decision.'

This has now been going on for three weeks and we are in New York and now the Embassy here is helping me because the Embassy in Peru are an actual joke. The lady here called me today to tell me that basically, E can't get this emergency document because he's not got a British passport to start with. WTAF?! I knew that and we had been through that and all the communication I've been getting from the Peru end was that the 'London colleagues hadn't come to a decision yet'. At no point had they said it's not possible. Nor that I should put in an application for his normal passport in the meantime because that is a requirement. THREE WEEKS OF THIS NONSENSE. WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY FOR YOU THEN, EMBASSY???? 

I am trying to be chill. But it is increasingly impossible to be chill because no one can do their job properly, the U.K seem determined to keep us out and all I want to do is go and see my mum and dad, for the love of sweet holy heaven, and get a cuddle and someone to make me a cup of flipping tea!!

Once again, I feel surrounded by inadequacy. 

So. Here we are in NYC, trying to 'holiday' but not really feeling like it because I have no idea what's going on, I'm haemorraging money and there is no end in sight to any of it. 

Oman remain closed it seems and have announced new rules starting September 1st re: being fully vaccinated (2nd dose plus 2 weeks) to be allowed to enter the country and all of its buildings. So unless they get us out of here and into there in the next week, we are looking at the end of September. I can't work from NYC, 8 hours behind and with no childcare, so I don't know what is going to happen there either. The dogs are in the doggy hotel but are being separated into different socialising groups in the day which was enough to tip me over the edge and dissolve into floods of tears the other morning. Enough has changed, they should be together. And Emilio is being Emilio but on a New York scale which is just so unbelievably difficult and terrifying but that's chat for another blog (insta ramble here). So it all just keeps being hard and we just keep living in the limbo and bureaucracy seems determined to beat me but it really needs to learn who it's dealing with, doesn't it? I will not be beaten. I WILL win this. And we WILL get home. And also hopefully to our new home.

But if anyone wants to come and give me a hug and make me a cup of tea to keep the fight in me going, that'd be awesome, thanks. 

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