Visa Ate Us Up

By Ellie Park

“It all felt like a dream. Reality hit the moment I was sorting through calculus quizzes, realizing how much I had to catch up after a break that ended way too fast,” said Eleannor, still recovering from the whirlwind of our spring break.

This March, my friends Zoe Yeoh (12), Kiera Nichols (12), Eleannor Tang(12), and I packed our bags and our excitement to spend spring break at my house in Korea—a trip we had been planning for months. It was the first time I had my friends staying over in Korea, and I couldn’t wait for the late-night chats, endless shopping, and group activities I’d always dreamed of having there. 

But our plans hit a bump before we even boarded the plane.

Caught up in excitement, we forgot one important detail: the visa. Since Zoe and Kiera were still minors, they breezed through without issue. But Eleannor, who had just turned 18, needed special visa consent—and hers hadn’t been approved yet. We stood there in disbelief as she was turned away at the check-in counter. With heavy hearts and heavier suitcases, we watched her walk back home, hoping that her visa would be processed in time.

We landed in Korea to a blast of shivering unexpected cold. Spring? Not quite. We shivered under layers of thin jackets, completely unprepared for the snowy landscape that greeted us the next morning. Add jet lag and a missing Eleannor, and you could say our spirits were… a little frosty.

Then, something crazy happened.

My phone rang. It was Eleannor. We hesitated—was it good news or just another update on visa delays? But when we picked up, we saw her bundled up inside a moving vehicle, eyes sparkling with excitement. Before I could ask, she flipped the camera—and there it was. My house. Covered in snow. On her screen.

“Is this your house, Ellie?” 

Her grin said it all.

Within seconds, our screams of joy shattered the silence. She made it. Against all odds, just in time for the real adventure to begin.

That break may not have started how we imagined—but in the end, it gave us a story we'll never forget.