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Spike’ s‘ passport picture’ I took to put in his travel passport
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By Candice Wiggum, RPCV MAK 14
Natasha, the Peace Corps staff person responsible for booking our PCV flights home, for the name of the travel agency she recommended and used them( Dollar Travel, I think) to book the one-way flight. The travel agency got me an inexpensive one-way trip to New York City on Turkish Airlines, which was also the shortest flight by far – 14 hours. I did most of my COS stuff before I COS’ ed to minimize travel layover with a pet in Skopje. You can get your physical done at any time in the last three months of service, and what generally makes COS last for three days is the TB test. If you can go to Skopje earlier, get tested for TB, and then return in three days to get the test read, then you can COS within one day. To return all the items that Peace Corps had checked out to me, I hauled a few items with me every trip I made to Skopje throughout the last few months of service. When it was time to COS I had little left to do.
You will also have to find your own place to stay in Skopje during COS, because Peace Corps’ Mramor Hotel does not allow pets. I stayed with a gracious friend who allowed me to have Spike in her apartment. My friendly taxi driver Goran picked me up in
Photos by Candice Wiggum
Gostivar, dropped me off at my friend’ s place, and picked me up when it was time to go to the airport. He helped me haul everything into the airport and negotiate the extra cost for Spike. I had an overweight bag and with Spike and his crate, I had to pay about an additional $ 300. I recommend checking your dog or cat. The airplane has a special compartment under the pilot for dogs and cats, and if s / he is checked, you can relax and enjoy the flight. When I arrived in New York, I had to ask a baggage person for Spike – he didn’ t just come down the ramp.
Be prepared for incredulous reactions from your Macedonian and Albanian friends. Most of them would give their right arm for a visa, and it doesn’ t seem right that your dog can become an American citizen when they can’ t. Spike has adjusted just fine to America, but it’ s taken awhile. The first night he barked at everything, including the ice machine in the fridge. The world over here is very different for him – just about everyone likes him and there are dog parks that overwhelm him. And dog toys – yippee! Have fun with your pet and good luck!
Summer 2013 – 23