Hello everyone, I hope you are all getting as excited about leaving as I am now! I recently went to get my US visa in London and my journey was rather an interesting one so I thought I’d share it with you all via the medium of another Saltire Foundation blog! 

My appointment at the London Embassy was scheduled for 11am and as I was playing football the night before, staying overnight in London was not an option. An early morning flight was though so my alarm clock rudely awakened me at 3.57am. I like to allow myself 3 minutes of dozing before fully waking up instead of taking risks with the snooze button because, after all, he who snoozeth, loseth. Try saying that 10 times in a row. 

After an uneventful drive to Prestwick (watch out for the 50mph average cameras BAE systems commuters) I found myself with about half an hour to spare in the departure lounge. Actually before I get to the departure lounge I have a question about average speed cameras that I’d like to put to anyone who might be reading this. Why is it that whenever I drive past an average speed camera I am doing 50mph on the button and yet everyone, EVERYONE is still overtaking me. Why? 

Anyway, I’m in the departure lounge feeling extremely tired and grumpy but I console myself with the thought that everyone else feels the same. Except they don’t. They’re all laughing, chatting, eating and drinking like it’s a reasonable time of day to be doing such things. There must be people in here somewhere who feel like they have a stadium full of vuvuzelas playing in their head….surely. I then recalled a famous piece of advice I was once given. I am a massive poker enthusiast and have been known to enjoy the occasional game or 2 and was once told the following: ‘If you can’t see the donkey at the table, the donkey is probably you.’ Surrounded by people who were as bright eyed and bushy tailed as a troop of foxes following laser eye surgery I concluded that I was the token dour faced guy in the corner of the airport bar. 

Then it all made sense. I knew why they were all in such high spirits. I was the only person in the departure lounge who didn’t have one or more of the following words printed on an item of clothing: TEAM, MAGALUF, 2K10, STAG, HEN. 

Luckily I had some excellent literature to cheer me up. My mentor Leanne, a 2008 intern who worked in New York, provided Claire, Greame and I with her own personal guide to the city when we met up last week. This proved an excellent read as well as taking anticipation levels in camp Jones to fever pitch so thanks Leanne! 

The flight went off without a hitch, except for my very talkative neighbour on the plane. Leanne and Claire warned me about these people as well actually maybe they target Saltire Foundation Interns. After some excruciating small talk he established that I was an Aero student and proceeded to ask me how planes actually flew. Naturally, having completed 4 years of a Master’s in aerospace I gave him a comprehensive answer. 

‘Its Magic.’ 

I arrived at the embassy with 20 minutes to spare so I walked down the road to the special pharmacy I had heard of which could be used to store phones, keys and other items which were not welcome in the embassy. Having deposited my stuff there I’d like to boldly predict that at least 90% of this pharmacy’s turnover comes from embassy visitors, as not a lemsip or a painkiller was sold during my time in the queue. 

The line of people waiting to get into the embassy was short and after receiving a glance from a herculean security guard which clearly said ‘Don’t mess about or I’ll bench press you, junior.’ I shuffled inside to the reception. I was given a ticket number and asked to sit in the waiting room. And sit I did. For 4 hours. 

Not one second of those 4 hours, however, will be counted as wasted by me for 2 reasons. Firstly I would be surprised if anyone else in the room would be heading to the US in as good hands as I was. I am very proud to have been chosen as a Saltire Foundation Intern and as every day passes I become more grateful for the opportunity I am receiving. I was most pleasantly surprised when my accommodation confirmation email came through, the apartments which Myself, Claire, Graeme and Matthew will be staying in are absolutely stunning. The Saltire Foundation really is looking after us well. 

Secondly the waiting room contained a drinks cabinet which sold Mountain Dew. Made from 100% pure Dew from the mountains of Indiana and Colorado, Mountain Dew is the finest soft drink known to man and had not passed my lips in over 11 years. I had never seen it sold outside the States. I can see myself returning home from NY with much less clothing and much more (hopefully 23kg) of Mountain Dew. 

After being informed my visa had been approved I still had 7 hours until my flight home was due to depart. Keen to make the most of my day I stepped onto the 3^rd greatest underground rail network in the world (behind Glasgow and New York of course) and made my way to Wimbledon to see if I could get a cheap resale ticket. On my way up to the ticket desk I was stopped by 2 Chinese tennis fans for a photo. They really thought I looked like Andy Murray or ‘His brother’. My resemblance to the British number one also allowed me to secure a discounted ticket to the grounds of the All England Club for the day. Boom. 

On my way back to the airport I walked past my host company, Lab 49’s London offices. Can’t wait to see the New York counterpart…. 

Ok, this has dragged on a bit, hasn’t it! I suppose I should wrap things up by saying I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone else’s posts on here, keep it up and I hope everyone has a great time this summer.

 Chris