Poster child

Interesting phrase that. It has all kinds of connotations and implications, usually of some person or other who has battled huge adversity to overcome the odds and survive - whatever it is that they have survived, thus becoming a shining example for everyone to be compared to. I would never wish to be held up to such high esteme by anyone, simply because I live a pretty ordinary life - usually. No heroic deeds, no major adversity, no real odds, and yet I now find myself through the twisted gods of fate to have become the poster child for our school. Why you ask? Good question. For whatever reason that only the universe knows, I have spent the last six months getting the runaround over a work visa. This hasn't been any ordinary runaround. For something that should have taken one day, I spent money I didn't have to spend on a visa that was of no value because it couldn't be changed, went through a lot of fooforah (don't you just love the sound that word makes?) and fiddlefarting (word courtesy of my best friend) to get the visa I shouldn't have had changed to one I could actually use, and in the meantime found myself stranded in London (great city if you're there for a holiday or are actually working, not so great if you've got no where to go and no money to get there in) for six weeks. On the up side I do know London really well now, and did meet some really great people who became my cheering section. When the dust settled and I was finally able to get back to work, it only took another three months to finally get the visa I should have had in the very beginning.
So why does this make me a poster child for the school. I shall tell you my darlings, because I'm sure you're dying to know - because no matter how much of a headache anyone else will go through in the future over their visas, no one will be able to top my rather bizarre experience. I will say, in all seriousness, that if I hadn't had support from the school and people who were able to make things happen once I got here, I'd probably still be in London - or back in Canada - whichever came first.
All just part of the adventure - or so I'm told