Visiting is bittersweet

[Marco&Bettina 502]

I will see my Fiancee in Germany on July 11-21. I can't wait. It is our 1st visit since I filed in early March but we did see each other the first time in February right before filing I-129F. I look forward to the visit & I try not to think about what happens at the end.

[yuna628 9,827]

My wife does enjoy crashing out on her first ft here (she visits a lot more as I have work obligations). Out of interest which part of England do you visit?

The North-East (Newcastle, Northumberland etc) primarily, but I have been fortunate to travel all over the country.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I feel for you as the leaving part is horrible. The first time I left my wife at Heathrow as I walked back to my car after saying goodbye they were playing "Bye Bye Baby." Who does that?!

[Girl from Celebes 588]

Just got back from seeing Chelsea last Wednesday and it was simultaneously amazing and depressing. Amazing because actually being with each other (in that same room, at the same time, talking face to face) is simply the best thing in the world.

Getting on my flight back to the UK, leaving the perfect weather and that gorgeous, funny, intelligent, perfect girl for rain and loneliness is the worst thing in the world. We tell ourselves in the grand scheme of life it isn't much time to be apart until we don't have to be anymore, but it is just so hard right now.

TSC PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY HURRY UP AND PROCESS OUR APPLICATION.

- S

I do understand your feeling very well. I think am consider you are lucky because you still have a chance to visit your fiancée during the process. Imagine those people, including me, did not have the privilege because whether our countries are not in VWP list or we were denied for tourist visa.

No matter how hard it is, patience is a virtue. My husband and I started the courtship since 2008 and he filed I-129F for me in 2013. Without too many chances for visits, our love constantly growing stronger and understand that distance only an imaginary line for both us. We are happily newlywed couple now.

Anyhow, I hope you hear your approval near in the future and good luck!

[jsumner86 403]

My wife and I are in slightly different circumstances, but we understand how you feel.

We are currently both living in the UK - my wife intended to be here for only around a year while I finished off with work. Now, due to USCIS delays, we've been here for around two years.

We go back to visit her family in Florida every few months, but leaving to come back to the UK is very difficult for both of us. She doesn't like living in the UK, and feels her life has been put on hold here (career, education etc.) because she can't really do anything due to the fact that we're leaving, we just don't know when. She also misses her family and friends immensely. It's largely the same for me now, I haven't been able to make any major changes in my life or make any real decisions because I know we're leaving, but it's taken a lot longer than we thought it would. This has caused us a long series of problems, leaving us both depressed and very stressed, and it's been like this since not long after we filed for our i130 in May 2013.

Going back to Florida feels like leaving all that stress and very lengthy periods of waiting behind us, only to have to come back to a couple of weeks later and all of our problems and stresses are still here waiting for us, not to mention that it seems to be grey and raining almost every time we land back in the UK. I hugged my wife as she was crying last time we were waiting in Orlando airport to come back. Thankfully, we probably won't have to go through the process of coming back to the UK again, as we're not too far off case completion in the NVC, so the next time we fly to Orlando, there shouldn't be a return flight.

It's been one rocky and nasty journey, which I'm glad we'll only ever have to do once in our lives. I wish you all luck!

Edited May 27, 2014 by jsumner86

[Julie+Matt 84]

On my trip the other week, we were sleeping & I had a dream I was back at home & got upset because I thought I still had more time in England. I woke up & Matt was next to me. I hugged him so hard when I realized I was still there. Now, I wake up, thinking he's there & it's just a big pillow. It's so sad...

Also, I think I'm the only one who can't handle FaceTime or skype. We talk over Xfire at least once a day & text the rest. We tend to talk & play video games together. But seeing him & not being able to touch him just hurts too much. I also can't look him in the eyes & it's...weird...

[shippingforecast 126]

My wife and I are in slightly different circumstances, but we understand how you feel.

We are currently both living in the UK - my wife intended to be here for only around a year while I finished off with work. Now, due to USCIS delays, we've been here for around two years.

We go back to visit her family in Florida every few months, but leaving to come back to the UK is very difficult for both of us. She doesn't like living in the UK, and feels her life has been put on hold here (career, education etc.) because she can't really do anything due to the fact that we're leaving, we just don't know when. She also misses her family and friends immensely. It's largely the same for me now, I haven't been able to make any major changes in my life or make any real decisions because I know we're leaving, but it's taken a lot longer than we thought it would. This has caused us a long series of problems, leaving us both depressed and very stressed, and it's been like this since not long after we filed for our i130 in May 2013.

Going back to Florida feels like leaving all that stress and waiting behind us, only to have to come back to a couple of weeks later and all of our problems and stresses are still here waiting for us, not to mention that it seems to be grey and raining almost every time we land back in the UK. I hugged my wife as she was crying last time we were waiting in Orlando airport to come back. Thankfully, we probably won't have to go through the process of coming back to the UK again, as we're not too far off case completion in the NVC, so the next time we fly to Orlando, there shouldn't be a return flight.

It's been one rocky and nasty journey, which I'm glad we'll only ever have to do once in our lives. I wish you all luck!

I'm really sorry to hear about that - there's nothing worse than living in constant instability. It must feel like you're in limbo. Especially with how grey the UK can be.

I think you raise an interesting point though for those of us here in the UK... what our USC SO's think of our country? yuna mentioned that she particularly enjoys being here, but my wife really isn't a fan of living here, between the weather and the fact that (by her standards) everything closes earlier.

One of the things that is massively prevalent to me is the lack of customer service here - I didn't realise how impersonal people in shops are until I visited TX. My wife could never understand how she could go through a whole transaction here with someone, hand the money over, receive the good etc without actually exchanging a single word.

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K-1 Process to K-1 Progress Forum~

~Commentary about traveling during TSC visa progression~

(organizer hat off)

Thanks for your eloquent description of bittersweet memories. There are a lot of us that recall those moments. I visited my then-fiancee three times during that part of our visa journey. For me it was the air flight time that was the hardest, couldn't wait to get there, didn't want to leave when the visit was over.

Hang in there!

Edited May 27, 2014 by A&B

[Julie+Matt 84]

I'm really sorry to hear about that - there's nothing worse than living in constant instability. It must feel like you're in limbo. Especially with how grey the UK can be.

I think you raise an interesting point though for those of us here in the UK... what our USC SO's think of our country? yuna mentioned that she particularly enjoys being here, but my wife really isn't a fan of living here, between the weather and the fact that (by her standards) everything closes earlier.

One of the things that is massively prevalent to me is the lack of customer service here - I didn't realise how impersonal people in shops are until I visited TX. My wife could never understand how she could go through a whole transaction here with someone, hand the money over, receive the good etc without actually exchanging a single word.

Yeah, the customer service was odd to me. I got "greeted" & that was it. I work in customer service & I'm very friendly. One problem I had, at the airport, I got an iced latte at a cafe & my credit card has an American flag on it. The guy looked at my card & stopped being nice to me. I don't know how else to explain it...it was quite odd.

I did, however get sick my first visit & had to go to a walk-in. Granted, we were there for 3 hours total, but they were friendly & didn't blink an eye when treating me when I said I was American. I didn't have to pay a dime...only £7 for my prescription.

[shippingforecast 126]

I feel for you as the leaving part is horrible. The first time I left my wife at Heathrow as I walked back to my car after saying goodbye they were playing "Bye Bye Baby." Who does that?!

Sadistic airport workers down there at Heathrow...

[shippingforecast 126]

Yeah, the customer service was odd to me. I got "greeted" & that was it. I work in customer service & I'm very friendly. One problem I had, at the airport, I got an iced latte at a cafe & my credit card has an American flag on it. The guy looked at my card & stopped being nice to me. I don't know how else to explain it...it was quite odd.

I did, however get sick my first visit & had to go to a walk-in. Granted, we were there for 3 hours total, but they were friendly & didn't blink an eye when treating me when I said I was American. I didn't have to pay a dime...only £7 for my prescription.

Seriously? I'm really sorry to hear about that, there's not really a lot of anti-American sentiment here so I guess you just got the displeasure of dealing with pretty strange barista.

[2ndMessiah 184]

I did, however get sick my first visit & had to go to a walk-in. Granted, we were there for 3 hours total, but they were friendly & didn't blink an eye when treating me when I said I was American. I didn't have to pay a dime...only £7 for my prescription.

Your welcome. I am glad past and current UK tax payers could help you in your time of sickness.

[Novembro 1,763]

Hang in there, people! Just keep reminding yourself that forever is a long time.

[Snag 57]

The weather was so perfect and we always have an amazing time when we're together. It's a real downer coming back to London. I'm from Australia, and I really did not anticipate how much I would miss the sunshine and hot weather and beaches.

A fellow Aussie. All hail. The south is wonderful. My husband was from Michigan, which, in part, reminded me much of England. Grey skies, drizzly, down weather. The blue sky looked like it was longing to be freed. Winter was about 5-6 months of the year. So unlike home where summer is about 5 months of the year, and the winters are a pleasant 55F in the day time. I suffered some sort of Vit-D deficiency, and hence, led depression in MI. Anyway, we recently moved to Texas which reminds me so much of home. You'll love the south.

I was an AOS (the group everyone loves to hate), so we didn't have to do a lot of distance, but when we were assessing our options in the US shortly after he proposed, we spent a few good proper Kleenex's on how long the K1 process takes. Distance truly does make the heart fonder. It also seems to make it sick, too.

Press on, friend. You're met with stress whatever route you take. Remember your lady in the process and how much she's worth it. It makes the cake somewhat tolerable.

[Snag 57]

One of the things that is massively prevalent to me is the lack of customer service here - I didn't realise how impersonal people in shops are until I visited TX. My wife could never understand how she could go through a whole transaction here with someone, hand the money over, receive the good etc without actually exchanging a single word.

Really? How interesting. When I went back to Australia for three weeks in December (home country) I was stunned as to how impersonal and cold everyone was, particularly in customer service. Even my husband remarked and asked why people don't smile over there. I was used to the friendly Americans who always smiled and asked how we're doin'. We just moved to Texas four months ago, and it's relatively the same.

Granted, I think it does depend where you shop. We went into an unmentionable technology shop yesterday that rhymes with Test Tie and were greeted with cluelessness and indifference. Trader Joe's, we've never had a problem. Same thing at Target.

Yeah, the customer service was odd to me. I got "greeted" & that was it. I work in customer service & I'm very friendly. One problem I had, at the airport, I got an iced latte at a cafe & my credit card has an American flag on it. The guy looked at my card & stopped being nice to me. I don't know how else to explain it...it was quite odd.

I've heard that European countries don't have a lot of respect for Americans, particularly the French. My Uncle, who worked on international cargo ships, stopped in a bay in France. Immediately, the French were cold to him and the crew, assuming they were American. Not being able to speak a lick of French, a crew member, who'd been to France before, showed him how to make the kangaroo symbol. My Uncle went up to a Frenchman and made the roo sign, and instantly, he was warmly welcomed.

It might be the Brits. They think the Aussies are convicts - or make lighthearted jokes about it at least. You know what they say, behind every joke is a grain of truth.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Snag