Maintaining a visa in the US is no small feat. Back when I was in college, I found myself in a whirlwind situation because of a simple oversight—a forgotten signature update on my visa. It was the beginning of the school year, and I had to make a sudden trip to Mexico, traveling alone, just to walk out of the US border and back in. The whole experience felt surreal.
Initially, I was in a state of panic upon realizing my mistake. Missing such an update meant risking my legal status in the US, and with the constant demands of daily life, it was easy to overlook. There always seemed to be a million things to do just to keep my visa status intact.
Thankfully, the issue was resolved after my unexpected journey. Exiting and re-entering the US border did the trick, and everything turned out fine. However, the experience left me with some lingering thoughts.
After going through this ordeal, I couldn't help but wish that borders didn't exist. A visa, just a mere sheet of paper, held so much power over my life—causing anxiety and dictating my actions. The resources and emissions involved in my trip to Mexico seemed wasteful, and the journey itself felt like a meaningless performance rather than a genuine opportunity to engage with another country and its people. The whole process made the concept of visas feel so meaningless to me.
