So, what happened ?
I was posting about going back home just yesterday, packing my stuff and getting ready with plans for the weekends, that included spending time with my kids, celebrating mooncake festival with my parents while enjoying the mooncakes which I just brought from a local bakery in town and even catching up with some Steemit friends for pot luck on Sunday.
Believe me when I say the unexpected does happen, no matter how prepared and thorough one can be. And, I was very thorough in everything except for this. I have no one to blame but myself for not being more specific in my exiting. Sitting at the departure hall of Tan Son Nhat International airport, I calmed myself down while recollecting the scenes of what just happened.
Everything was fine until it was my turn to go through immigration, they asked me for my visa or temporary resident card. I had neither since these were returned back to the company just three days ago. After much explaination, they insisted that I must have my resident card in order to leave the country.
Calling my former colleague in HR, they spoke in their local language, however, the decision is final. Without my resident card, I'm unable to leave this country. What's worst is that HR had already send all my handover documents including my resident card back to Hanoi; literally speaking it's on a plane or somewhat on transportation back to Hanoi !
So, I'm stuck in HCMC; having to wait for HR in Hanoi to send my resident card back to me in HCMC in the next 5 days before my flight ticket expiration is over. Hubby flew off back home although the main purpose of him coming down was so that we could return home together.
Thankfully, I still have my apartment here in HCMC so I'm back to the empty apartment once again. Calling my family and telling them that I wasn't returning home was tough. Even tougher when both my boys were excited to see me tonight.
Big lesson learned !
Always check, double check, triple check everything and even if you think you know everything, check again. The unexpected does happen to people who are 100% sure and fully prepared.