Will I really look back and laugh someday?

Mexican's often complain about the bureaucratic process of getting a US visa, but I have had a horrible time with Mexico's bureaucracy. I think this back and forth has been the cause of much of my stress over the past month. Here are a few highlights:

In early July I put in an application for "change of migratory status" after I pulling together all of the items on the checklist (proof that the org i'm working with exists and has been paying taxes, my credentials, etc.).

When I called to see if it was ready 3.5 weeks later i was excited to hear i could come pick it up. Instead of a visa, I got a letter requesting more info (including some of what I had turned in). Unfortunately this was a week before my trip to DC and they told me i couldn't leave the country with an application in. They sent me to another window who sent me to the migration office at the airport where they told me I needed to fill out a form and pay about $25 to get a letter that would let me leave for up to 30 days. Of course this was two days before the flight (in the midst of work and meetings) and the letter took 24 hours to process.

When I went to pick up my official letter just before the flight, they couldn't find it at first (note: I called the afternoon before to confirm and they had trouble finding it). When they did hand it over, they explained that I needed a stamp when I passed through immigration in the US and again when I got back to Mexico. When I got back to Mexico, though, they told me I needed to go to immigration (seek out the stand even though I'd just come from the office) to get them to stamp the letter on the way out of Mexico. Since I only had four stamps from the same day (they couldn't figure out when i left with the round stamp, only the long one I didn't have), I had to pay a $50 fine. Of course nobody told me any of this before.

Currently, i am putting together the additional info they requested including a letter from the US headquarters and hope to put in my application tomorrow. Maybe I'll get my visa before I leave Mexico next year....