Possibly the most significant numbers in my life are 19°26′N, 99°8′W. Where these two imaginary lines intersect on our globe, approximately 7,000 feet above sea level, 23-years ago, at 10:40 on a Tuesday morning, I was born. Unless you are one of (I’m guessing) six people on the planet who have memorized latitudinal and longitudinal lines and their intersections, you have no idea where I was born.
Let me share with you a few numbers that are slightly less significant. The number of years I spent getting a college degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: four. The number of years I held a steady job during my college days: four. The number of words in the novel that I wrote in the six months since graduating with a BA in Marketing: 82,597. Time spent volunteering for Americorps in Salinas, CA: Twenty hours per week for four months. Number of Facebook friends, most of whom live in this country: 474. Cumulative miles driven in road trips around the United States: approximately 9,000. Hours spent trying to figure out how to file my taxes: 1,000,000(ish). Incalculable are the sums of money that my parents and I contributed to the economy in the form of tuition payments, rent payments, food (and maybe some beer) consumption, etc.
All the numbers mentioned in the above paragraph are rather moot because of the numbers I first mentioned. I was born in Mexico City, well outside the imaginary lines that determine the borders of the United States of America. And that brings me to another number- the date I must leave the country: 12/31/10.
Today, after talking with the immigration lawyer, we reached the conclusion that, as it stands, the best thing for me to do is to leave. It’ll be harder to promote the book from Mexico, but it will be pointless to apply for any kind of visa extension. Immigration officers want me to prove myself, prove that I can be a valuable addition to the country, and a 23-year-old first-time writer with a self-publishing contract is not enough for them.
That’s okay, though. I’m good at rolling with punches, at finding happiness regardless of my situation. It doesn’t really change the fact that I’ve written a great book. With a lot of effort and an iota or two of luck, this book is going to be a success regardless of the numbers 19°26′N, 99°8′W.
