Patience...

Our documents are to the translator, Patrick drove them up to Portland this morning. The translator will get them done "when she can" - hopefully by the end of next week. Then we have to get them legalized by the consulate and THEN we have to send all of this documentation plus originals to Italy for the actual work visa application.

We aren't sure we're comfortable with sending all of our originals for things, so we'll have to figure out if we really need to. There is some question after talking to the embassy in the US. No one here seems to understand why our contact in Italy is asking us to do things this way, typically the visa applications are done through the embassy in the US.

But, through all of this, we are learning patience... and maybe getting just a little taste of the cultural differences and what paperwork we have to come. I'm starting to take a "we'll get there when we get there" mentality, and just living life as normal in the meantime!