bite the bullet

Last Friday I made the journey into Chicago to visit the Ecuadorian Consulate and apply for my visa. After the difficulties encountered in just scheduling this appointment, I was a little apprehensive about this whole process, especially the potential language barrier. I had prepared what I thought I would need to say in Spanish, but I was still nervous. I arrived in time for my appointment to find a very small room with two glass windows. I spoke to the lady in the window marked Visas Poderes and started passing my paperwork through the window. First of all, language was a small problem. I was so nervous that I didn't attempt the Spanish, and the lady did not speak much English. Then, I had the wrong application, so I had to fill out a new one. Next, the lady points to the list of required documents and tells me I need a copy of my passport and a copy of my airline ticket. I tried to explain rather foolishly in English that I didn't live here and didn't have it with me. She tried to give me directions of where to go to print it out. So, after a panicked walk around downtown Chicago, I found a Kinko's and was able to print out my ticket and make a copy of my passport. I gave myself a pep talk on the walk back to the consulate and decided that I would finish this in Spanish. In the end, everything worked out, and I now have a lovely visa stamp in my passport. I realized that I'm not going to feel comfortable speaking Spanish for awhile, but that I just need to do it. It will be more respectful to at least make an attempt, and it's the only way that I'm going to learn.