Do you believe in signs?

I do subscribe to this idea that a greater power communicates to us in so many ways. This includes giving signs - a series of seemingly random events purporting to give answers. And what gives it such enigma is the order and the timing of these events seem to be so orchestrated or designed to precision that it could never just be mere happenstance. It might be what most of us call the feeling of being at the right place at the very precise moment. It might just be the brain playing tricks but we can never discount the fact that it does happen.

We often invoke it when we make big life decisions. In my case, I did not really ask for any signs, it just appeared.

It was in the morning of August 14, 2013. As I was scrolling down my facebook feeds, my brother’s chat message icon popped out.

Then my extraordinary experience started. This was beyond ordinary when a 24-year-old student applies alone for a Schengen visa. It is stressful and anxiety-ridden experience, not to mention the long wait for the news. Anyway, I considered this event my first sign because minutes, just minutes before my brother’s chat. I watched a Rome Reports clip on Pope Francis waiving at the crowds in St. Peter’s Square. Mere coincidence but things got a bit interesting. 

The second sign appeared after I submitted all my papers. It was around 2:30 in the morning. I was about to settle in bed after a long tedious study night. I turned on the tv just to ease my senses. Then as I traversed from channel to channel, I landed on Fox news at the most perfect time. The announcer said “buongiorno! To the people watching in Italy, thank you for watching fox news through Italiano tv!”what are the odds? Right as I landed on fox, this message appeared. Come on! Maybe again it’s my mind just trying to connect patterns.

Surprisingly, the morning after, the Italian Embassy called asking for some clarifications. And they called just seconds before I arrived from a chore in Copya de Oro. What would have happened if I stayed longer?

The final sign came 2 days after that call.  After my NSTP processing session, I hurriedly looked for some food to eat. I was starving so as hundreds of other students. No seats were available but luckily I managed to squeeze myself in one table with some 2^nd year law students who are also my friends. As we were so busy eating and chatting, a friend seated in front of me opened her bag and removed her sachet of coffee. And behold, it was the Italian flavor of Kopiko’s European coffee series named Kopiccino. And to top it of, the colors of the Italian flag shimmered in the choco granule sachet. I just laughed the moment I saw it. I even kept the sachet with the Italian flag out of wonder and fascination of how these things could even be possible.

On Tuesday, October 8, I got my passport back at around 10:30 am – approved.