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Blog #18

The Waiting Game

October 13, 2025 by Ruth Misori

Months before being accepted into the NACLAP program and also receiving a placement, I went ahead and decided to start the visa process by gathering the required information that would be needed to be submitted with my visa application. So, I started with the longest process, which was the FBI background check. It takes the longest and the turnaround could take 6-12 weeks, or in some cases, months. So, I did that in March as the validity of the background check would last for only six months. I already graduated at this point and had my physical degree, so I just needed to make a copy of it, as well as making a copy of my passport. Once that was completed in advance, I just had to wait for my acceptance letter (May), as well as a school placement (mid-July) before I could mail in my application to the BLS Houston. Lastly, I had to get a signed medical certificate stating that I’m in great physical health and don’t have any transmittable diseases which could hinder me from participating in this program.

Shortly after I was accepted into the NACLAP program, I was able to join a WhatsApp group chat specifically for first-year participants, as well as a group chat for people also being placed in Valencia. There were so many helpful group chats that I could join, such as housing, which gives us information on how to look for an apartment once we arrived, or even people who are looking for roommates, a group chat for events that you could join so you could meet other people, and so many more. I was thankful to have access to these resources because I was able to get in touch with and even meet a few girls in Spain from this group chat. I was in contact with two of the girls who were also applying for their visas and we gave each other updates constantly, so it was helpful. Once I received my placement letter (my carta), I went ahead and got my passport photos for my visa (not my passport since I already have one) and renewed my driver’s license, in addition to getting the star Id so I could make a copy of it and get it notarized as proof of residence in my state.

In order to apply to the BLS Houston location, you have to be a resident of any of these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, or Texas. I had the option of applying via mail or in person, so I chose the mailing option because of work obligations. In mid-July when I received my carta, I could finally send in my application because I had all of the necessary documents needed to get my visa, so I mailed it to BLS Houston. I had the tracking number, so I was able to see where my package was with UPS, and since I chose the 2-day shipping option, I thought it would be delivered within that time frame in Houston. However, two days passed and my package wasn’t delivered in Houston. It was still in Tennessee after being reaching their facility a day after being sent there. more days went by, and I saw that it was still stuck in Tennessee, so I contacted UPS, but it was unfortunately it was a robotic message, so I didn’t receive much help. By this time, ten days had passed, and I no longer suspected that it was delayed, I suspected it was lost. Annoyed, I decided to go to a local UPS store in person to get any information regarding my package.

Once I arrived and showed them my tracking number, they told me that UPS is not related to the UPS store shipping, so I would have to contact them about my package or with BLS Houston (since they printed my shipping label). I went back to my car and called BLS Houston to inquire the whereabouts of my package and they were very vague and told me to go to UPS store to gather information. I responded that the UPS store sent me to BLS. BLS Houston was very unhelpful, so I after I hung up, I went back inside the UPS store to let them know that they led me back to them. They told me that if I were to ship my package with them, then they could give me a tracking number and see where the package was going, but because it was with UPS specifically, they unfortunately couldn’t help me. So basically, I didn’t initiate the shipment with the UPS store, so they cannot see the tracking progress of the package because they don’t have any access to it. Only UPS does.

I then asked the woman at the desk if delayed shipments past ten days are normal. Sympathetic, she responded, “Usually, when packages are delayed in a facility for more than ten days, it’s either damaged or lost. I’m so sorry.” My eyes widened. You mean to tell me that my package is lost? Tears welled in my eyes as I walked back to my car to go home. During the entire drive home, I wailed and sobbed uncontrollably. I worked so hard to gather my documents to make sure that everything was sent in promptly and correctly, and now that’s all going down the drain because it’s lost! All my hard work down the toilet! I was devastated. If my package truly was lost, then I would have to restart the process all over again, such as applying for a new passport, as well as taking new passport photos. Then, I would have to get another signed medical certificate, as well as getting the FBI check re-done again, which could take up to 12 weeks. I didn’t have 12 weeks! The program will have started! I was even more concerned because the deadline for submitting your visa applications was on July 31st. I’d also have to make another money order of $227, since they don’t accept cash or credit card information.

Once I got home, my mother suggested that I reach out to my school and explain my situation and to wait for their response. I did that and the following morning, I received an email from them. They told me that it was okay and have given me permission to arrive at a later date, as long as I continue to keep in contact with them regarding information about my visa. Later that day, I decided to file a claim on my missing package on the UPS website and received a confirmation email that my claim was being reviewed. A few days later, UPS emails me to inform me that my package in Tennessee has been dispatched and has left their facility. I sighed in relief. Thank God it wasn’t lost! Otherwise, I would’ve had to re-do everything. I then track my package on their website using the same number used in the past, and sure enough, it has left the Tennessee facility and was making its way to Houston. I then tell my parents and email my school to update them about my package. Now it’s just a waiting game.

Two days later, my package finally made its way to the BLS Houston facility for my visa application to finally be processed. Now the hardest part is over, and all I need to do now is wait for my visa to arrive. Back in May after receiving my acceptance letter, I went ahead and booked a one-way flight to Valencia for September 19th, the day after my birthday. I made sure the ticket was flexible, and I used some of my travel credits to book this ticket with American Airlines. I didn’t want to wait until after I received my visa to book my flight because I was afraid it would be very expensive, so I just booked a flexible ticket instead just in case I have to rebook it. I checked the group chat for Valencia to see others’ updates on their visas, and some of them had a quick turnaround, such as 2-4 weeks. Then there were others who got theirs within 4-6 weeks, or other applicants who received their visas the following day after applying in person. Typically, if you applied in person, then there was a better chance that you would quickly receive yours very soon compared to others who’ve applied via mail. I didn’t panic at this point because I was just grateful that my package actually wasn’t lost and had finally reached the Houston facility to be processed. In addition, I figured the wait would take at least 6 weeks, so at that point, I was still calm.

However, towards the end of the 6th week, I slowly became anxious and wondered if they needed any additional information so I could finally get my visa. I was still working as a waitress at my job until I had my visa in hand, then I would quit and prepare for my upcoming move to Spain. Although, I hadn’t received my visa yet and I was already at week 7. Many other people in the group chat had already received theirs, including applicants who had applied after me the same way via mail. It was frustrating. I called BLS Houston’s office to inquire the status of my visa, and they told me that it was still processing. I asked if I needed to send any other required documents and they said no. So, as an attempt to keep myself busy while waiting for my visa, I decided to pick up as many waitressing shifts as possible and working as many as 6 days a week. It was exhausting. By then I had grown to completely hate serving. It’s draining physically, mentally, and on very slow days, even financially. By now it was already 6 months since I was promoted as a server and towards the end of it, I absolutely grew to loathe it. I encountered rude guests, lazy coworkers (not all of them, obviously) and horrific management. If it wasn’t entitled guests I was dealing with, then it was dealing with rude managers. And if it wasn’t rude managers, then it was lazy coworkers who didn’t keep up with their side work or were even bothered to run their own food. The more I worked at that awful restaurant, the more irritable I became and anxious, especially since I hadn’t received my visa yet.

However, I will say that because of my recent experience as hostess and waitress, my desire to return to school to get my master’s has come back to me at full force. There were so many nights that I worked doubles and had made a lot of money by the end of the night to show for it, but I had to hustle non-stop. Then there were other nights that I still hustled but didn’t have much money to show for it. I was tired of the daily gamble of my income, and more specifically tired of my income depending upon the mercy of strangers. No thanks. It was in that moment of waiting tables that I realized that my parents were right regarding the importance of grad school and establishing a career. Of course, I don’t have to return to school, and I could do something else, such as join the military or get a real estate license or even learn trades. However, I have no interest whatsoever in joining the military, I don’t care about getting a real estate license, and with my experience of carrying heavy trays as a waitress, I definitely don’t want to learn trades and potentially wreck my body even more. So, that leaves me with the only option of establishing my career, which is going to grad school. I initially didn’t want to attend grad school at all because of how exhausted I was when I graduated. But once I kept working odd, minimal wage jobs at various restaurants, and then of course hosting and waitressing at my most recent job, it slowly destroyed me, and I eventually had a change of heart. Plastering a fake smile on my face while working for 6-8 hours straight on my feet and carrying heavy trays almost daily was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I didn’t want this to become the state of the rest of my life. I wanted something more fulfilling and different. A career with benefits and one that I enjoy. One that doesn’t damage my body long-term and one with an income that doesn’t fluctuate daily. One with healthcare and one with stability.

My saving grace from this life epiphany is the fact that I’m still relatively young. Meaning I can bounce back from this predicament and still have enough time to establish a career and still make a difference into earning towards my retirement once I’m older. I’m glad to have learned this lesson now while I’m still young and in my twenties, and I will definitely say that experience is the best teacher. Once I finish a year of living abroad, attending grad school is the next thing that is on my agenda, and if I’m fortunate enough and work hard, then hopefully God will bless me to never have to encounter waiting tables ever again. Anyway, back to my visa update. My birthday was around the corner, which also meant that the date of my flight was also approaching, so time was quickly running out. I called the BLS office several times and received the same answer: that it’s still processing. I personally found that response rather unhelpful because there were other applicants who’ve applied after me that have their visas, which was unbelievably frustrating. They finally did reach out to me to tell me that I needed to modify one of my documents, which was the health insurance. I was annoyed because why did they wait until the last minute to tell me this, when I could’ve resolved this in advance? I then modified it and sent it to their email to be processed. Now I was losing hope and wondered if it might get rejected because of how long it’s taking to process compared to others. There have been a few applicants who have had their visas rejected, so I was a bit nervous that mine might be too. The week of my birthday arrives and still no visa in hand. I wasn’t too keen about celebrating my birthday because I suspected that my visa wouldn’t come by then, or even at all.

However, a few days before my birthday, a sweet bartender from my job surprised me at work with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a birthday card and a cute cake. She absolutely made my day and made me realize how important it is to live in the moment. I tried to focus on making lasting memories with the people I love by spending some time with them before I leave. I also decided not to make this visa chaos the main focus of my day and try to do other stuff to occupy my time, such as work. Unfortunately, I was absolutely at my wits end with my serving job and the chaos of it all that I ended up quitting. I bid my favorite coworkers goodbye and take a photo with one of them outside before I headed to my car to go home. September 18th arrives and I haven’t received my visa, so I cancelled my flight for the following day. However, I focused on having a great birthday and hung out with my friends and family. The next week approaches and by now it’s week 9. I decided that if my visa gets rejected, then I would just focus on preparing my documents for grad school and move on with my life and just go back to Spain on holiday instead. On Monday I went out to a Chinese buffet to take my mind off of things when I receive an email from BLS Houston that my passport has been dispatched. I texted some of the girls from the group chats and they told me that it’s a good sign that it’s been approved.

I couldn’t believe it. After 9 weeks, my passport was finally being dispatched to me. Once it was Wednesday after noon, I received the package and opened it, and sure enough, my visa was approved, and my passport had a stamp. I squealed with excitement. “I finally got my visa!” I ran to my younger sister’s room and yelled outside her door. “I finally have my visa! woohoo!” “Oh, congrats,” she responded. She sounded happy but a bit groggy, so I likely woke her up from her nap. I then texted my parents, friends and other relatives that my visa has finally been approved. I then emailed my school to inform them that my visa was approved and that I won’t have to worry about arriving to the school at a later date. Now it was official. I was all packed and I finally have my visa, so all I needed to do was Google port my number and rebook my flight for this same week on Saturday, the 27th. Saturday approached and it was finally time for me to embark my new adventure to Spain. I was stoked yet a bit nervous as I bid my relatives goodbye. I did one final wave before I went through security and was awaiting my new life beyond the Atlantic Ocean.

Blog #17

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Beyond The Atlantic

October 13, 2025 by Ruth Misori

Hey everyone, good news! I finally accomplished my life-long dream of moving abroad! This journey that it took to get me there was long and crazy. But nonetheless, I am finally here! I’m incredibly thankful to God for leading me, for the support from my family and friends, and also for receiving words of encouragement from strangers. My decision to move abroad took a lot of time, effort and planning, and for a while, I was uncertain that the opportunity to live abroad was actually going to happen at all. I was both nervous, yet excited. It was mostly the latter. However, once realization hit me that at 24-years old, now that I’m moving to another country (and another continent), I will officially be on my own, and it was a bit daunting. Anyway, let me start from the very beginning so I can take you back to where it all happened.

Flashback to May 2024 shortly after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was preparing my documents so I could go to China to teach English in August. I had done a year of preparation in terms of researching the best cities to move to, which age groups suits my preferences, and of course, getting the required certifications needed to be eligible to teach English abroad (a 120-hour English teaching certification & a bachelor’s degree in any field). Teaching English in China appealed to me the most because of the earning and saving potential, especially as a recent college grad who was in a bit of student debt. A lot of college grads have gone to China to teach English as a way to pay of their student loans and even save up for grad school when they return to their respective home countries. Another reason I wanted to teach in China was because of their country’s natural beauty. I was in awe of their mountains, rivers and various green spaces that I know I would enjoy viewing in person, in addition to having access to a ton of fun hobbies that comes along with being outdoors, especially in the bigger cities. And of course, traveling. I could go from one Chinese city to another by train, plane, or even by car if the destination was close enough to drive to. Even better, I could travel to other parts of Asia, like Japan, Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia. I’d have access to all of those countries at my fingertips from China.

Lastly, I wanted to teach English in China because I truly valued the subject. I love the language, reading and writing, so it was only natural for me to want to teach the subject. While my degree wasn’t in education nor in teaching, I did have some prior experience tutoring students with their English grammar and reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore, I thought to myself, why not kill two birds with one stone by going abroad to teach a subject you enjoy while paying of your minimal student loans? I figured this would be the perfect scenario, especially since I wasn’t too keen on the idea of attending grad school right away (or at all, initially). So, in late 2023, I took an online course with a reputable British company to complete my 120-hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification and was working very hard at my job to save up for the move until I graduated with my degree in May. I also did a long job search, since that was the main thing that I needed before I could hop on a plane across the world (and a work visa, of course).

The job search for English teaching positions was very difficult for me because even though I started in March as recommended, I still had trouble landing offers because some schools preferred teachers who were already physically in the country, had a teaching license, had at least two years of experience (the area & school varies) and the most shocking, were white. The last reason sounds very harsh, but it is an unfortunate reality in some areas because of the false misconception that some schools in China believe that only white teachers are native English speakers. Therefore, if first-time applicants have blonde hair, blue eyes or pale skin, then their chances of landing a teaching position are much higher compared to darker applicants or individuals of color. Some schools that you are applying to require a photo and/or a brief introduction video of yourself upon sending your application so they can assess your appearance and voice. Most schools prefer English teachers from these native countries: The U.S, U.K, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland. If you are not from these following countries, then your chances of landing a position are even more difficult compared to other applicants from those countries.

So, while I didn’t have issues landing offers because of my nationality being that I’m American, I still had issues dealing prejudiced and racist companies that overlooked my experience and qualifications because of their misconceptions regarding my skin. For example, whenever I would send in applications without a photo or introduction video, I would get relatively quick responses within a day or two of applying. They would tell me that my resume and qualifications are decent and that they’re interested in scheduling an online interview. Then, they would ask for a photo or an intro video before they proceed, and it would go downhill from there afterwards. I would send in my professional photo along with my video explaining my qualifications and why I would like to teach in China, in addition to telling them ways I plan on implementing teaching styles for the students. Days later? Nothing. No response. A week later I would reach out to them and asked if they received my photo and video. Still nothing. I shrug and say to myself that it’s time to move on and apply to another school. So, I’d apply to one, which then turned into two, three, four, five, then all of the sudden, I was applying to multiple schools on EChinesecities a day. It was exhausting and unbelievably discouraging. To clarify, it was discouraging in the sense that schools were overlooking my qualifications due to my skin color, not my actual skin color itself. In fact, I love being black and I would never do anything to change that! My skin is beautiful and there are many other beautiful shades of black people that I admire, and I will never stop being proud of that!

Despite the awful job hunt for an English position in China, I kept persevering and applying because prior to doing so, I was informed about the racism that I could face and was already aware of the discrimination that black teachers face both during the job hunt or during their time in China. Some stories ranged from microaggressions to outright horrifying. Yet, I still decided to continue applying. Why? Because despite the racial factors of the application process, I also saw that there were black teachers who enjoyed their time in China, so I figured, why couldn’t I be one of those happy teachers abroad? I also really wanted to travel all across Asia, and I didn’t want discrimination to get in my way of pursuing that. So, I worked very diligently to meet the qualifications to teach English by getting a TEFL certification as well as getting my bachelor’s. I also took my tutoring job seriously and updated my resume to make sure that it was decent and professional. And I also made sure that my introduction video was clear, concise, and easy to understand. Looking back now on this experience, it was a blessing in disguise because those prejudiced schools rejecting me was God’s protection, and also an indication that I wouldn’t want to work for a bunch of bigots, anyway. So, it was good from the start that they were telling me who they were as opposed to me finding out the hard way after arriving in the country with less safety nets.

Months after I kept applying, I did eventually land two interviews with two schools and were able to move a little further. Only, here’s the problem: they were both sketchy. The first school offered me a position, but told me that I would be on my own regarding the visa process, and since I did prior research, I automatically knew that it was a red flag as employers are supposed to apply for the work visa on their employees’ behalf so they can be their sponsors upon them entering the country. The second school was in the capital and offered an extremely low salary, which was also a red flag because it was considered unlivable even by their city’s standards. If I were to accept that job, then I would have to come with a large amount of savings, otherwise I would struggle to pay rent or live paycheck to paycheck. Obviously, that was something I didn’t want, so I declined both offers and continued with the application process. As months went by, it was getting closer to August, and I still haven’t secured a legitimate teaching job. I was growing discouraged. Flash forward to the summer of 2024, I went to Dallas to complete my brief internship and was even able to get a week off for the 4th of July. So, I went to San Francisco on holiday, which took my mind off the crazy job hunt.

Once my summer internship in Dallas ended, it was late July, and I slowly realized that my idea of going to China that year wasn’t happening. So, still eager to move out of the country, I applied to a master’s program in Greece related to teaching English as a foreign language, as an attempt to both improve my chances of being accepted by a reputable school in China by winter (they have fall & winter intakes) as well as gaining the experience of living in another country, like I’d always wanted. I applied to the school late, so I didn’t qualify for scholarships, and unfortunately FAFSA doesn’t cover my specific program, which meant that I was on my own financially. While I had worked and saved up as much as I could, it wasn’t nearly enough to cover the costs of tuition or other living expenses, such as room & board. Then of course, my student visa that I’d have to apply for. Feeling defeated, I withdrew my application to the master’s program in Greece. I returned back to my hometown and looked for basically any job that I could find, but the future felt bleak. By then it was already August, which meant that schools have already started in China, and it was too late to secure a job there, and it was definitely too late to apply to other grad schools here. So, I was left with only one option, and that was to work in my hometown. Shortly after a week of applying for jobs, I found one as a hostess at a local Tex-Mex restaurant.

By then, I was very discouraged and depressed because I felt that I was supposed to by teaching and traveling in China and all over Asia, but instead, I was working for minimum wage in my hometown at a place I didn’t even like. This was a humbling experience, I felt even worse because I had already told many people about my plans to teach in China during the fall of 2024, so when it didn’t happen, I felt defeated and like a failure. Obviously, I’m not a failure, and could still use this experience to pivot to the next stage of my life, but in the moment, it felt overwhelmingly difficult to grasp that mentality. Especially because I would go on social media and see others attending their dream programs at grad school, moving across the country, or even abroad, or just starting their lives. While I’m still here in my hometown, working a job I don’t like for $12 an hour at a Mexican restaurant. I’ve cried many times during my bathroom breaks and often pondered if this is where I’ll end up for the rest of my life. The thought of such was excruciating. Once a little time passed by and I was no longer going through the crazy job search, I felt a little better, and after my birthday in September, I researched different English teaching programs that I could apply for in other countries aside from China, and the NACLAP program in Spain popped up on Google. I clicked on it and viewed their program’s outline and qualifications, which were less intense than China. They provided a monthly stipend and only require that you have a bachelor’s degree or at least be a sophomore at the time of the application.

I reached out to my Spanish professor from college to ask for her input of this program, and she responded that it is a great opportunity that a few of her students have enjoyed in the past. I then took that as a green light to think about applying to Spain for this program next year. I thought about it long and hard, and also looked at other international English teaching programs, like JET (Japan), but I was leaning heavily towards the program in Spain. For starters, I had already been to Spain to study abroad briefly, and I loved my experience, and also because it was less intense than process of trying to secure a job in China. In fact, the NACLAP program’s website had so many resources regarding how to apply to their program, how to apply for a visa, and tips for getting settled into Spain after arrival. A few months after thinking about this program, I decided to apply to NACLAP and reached out to that same professor for a letter of recommendation, which she gladly agreed. I then reached out to my old supervisor from my tutoring job for a letter of recommendation as well, and he gladly agreed. Things were finally looking up, and all I needed to do was send in my application, a copy of my degree, and two letters of recommendation. Fast-forward to May, I was accepted into the program and by July, I received my teaching placement. I was stoked because it was in my first choice (Valencia), so I was able to actually envision the idea of living in Valencia. By now, I was already promoted from being a hostess to a waitress, which increased my income by 70%. So, this meant that in the meanwhile, until I receive my visa to Spain, I can work and save a ton of money before I leave in mid-September so I can get settled in before school starts on October 1st.