Everything takes longer than it takes

Well, in strict compliance with the immortal Murphy's laws, premium processing was not applied by the USCIS to my H1B petition. Of half a dozen of colleagues I happened to be the only lucky guy who is to wait another 15 days. Having hoped to have an initial approval by my 30th birthday I am mildly disappointed but as I have found many times since last summer this whole thing is not for weak at heart.

A nice motivational story I heard today from a former colleague helps put such a petty situation in perspective. The colleague graduated from an American university with a degree in CS only to miss her GC interview because of her partner's unwillingness at the last moment. She had to leave the US and spend four years waiting in line for a Canadian immigration visa. After many a provisional impediment she has received her visa recently and she is planning to meet the next (truly merry) Christmas in a much better place. As usual, one's persistence proved to be decisive.

All in all, my old acquaintance from ComputerWorld was probably right in his marketing campaign on my behalf :) - my story has hardly missed any twist possible. The reality mercilessly beats fiction in ways I did not expect to witness. If I were not mitigating risks with the British opportunity I would likely be more nervous.