Monday, July 26, 2010
Child Immunizations
If you are moving to the UK with children, be sure they are up to date on their shots; and bring a record of their immunizations with you. We found out the immunization schedule is very very different between the two countries.
Friday, July 16, 2010
More Bank Info
So, when we set up our utilities and satellite, etc. I put everything in my husband's name since he was the one making the money to pay the bills. Bad idea. Now, I can't get added to his bank account. Some (possibly all) banks require you to show some sort of official mail with your name on it in order to prove your residence. Mail from friends won't work. Even though my husband already has the account, and all we wanted to do was add me to it, I still have to have something official with my name on it.
My tip of the day is: Set up at least one bill in any name that you'd want to setup a bank account for.
My tip of the day is: Set up at least one bill in any name that you'd want to setup a bank account for.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Bank Account Success
I obviously can't guarantee this will get you a bank account, but it worked for us.
First, have your employer call the bank they bank with and make an appointment for you. Them vouching for you goes a long way. Expect that getting this appointment may take some time and expect it to get rescheduled possibly more than once.
Be patient. Be polite. Bring what they tell you to. Don't expect to be able to use your account right away. It took 3 business days for us to be able to use our account after opening it. Also, be prepared to have to make another appointment. The first one they may just tell you what you need and then you'll need another appointment where you bring those things in and actually set up the account.
You might want to try to get your first paycheck in cash, if possible. You'll have bills that might be waiting for you when you arrive that need to be paid.
First, have your employer call the bank they bank with and make an appointment for you. Them vouching for you goes a long way. Expect that getting this appointment may take some time and expect it to get rescheduled possibly more than once.
Be patient. Be polite. Bring what they tell you to. Don't expect to be able to use your account right away. It took 3 business days for us to be able to use our account after opening it. Also, be prepared to have to make another appointment. The first one they may just tell you what you need and then you'll need another appointment where you bring those things in and actually set up the account.
You might want to try to get your first paycheck in cash, if possible. You'll have bills that might be waiting for you when you arrive that need to be paid.
What to Bring With You, Part 2
I wrote about this before, but now that I'm here, I'd like to add a few more things.
From the date our belongings were shipped, we were in another state for 4 weeks before coming to England. So we were that long without the need of those things. Once we got here, we found out it would be another 4 weeks before our stuff arrived.
I had thought of a lot of things we would need, and expected to get them all when we got here. Other things I forgot about. Luckily we had wonderful arrangements on this end and ended up quite comfortable until our things get here. Also, we move directly into our permanent residence. We didn't stay in a furnished place first or a hotel. So I'm going to list items that you would need to have to live someplace in the hopes that it helps you plan better for your move. If any of these items can be brought with you, as air freight or in luggage, that is probably best. If not, you could try to make arrangements for it to be here when you arrive. The last thing you'll want to do (unless you can sleep soundly on a plane) when you arrive is go shopping. Note: this is all additional to the obvious clothing and shoes etc.
-A place to eat - whether it be on your couch or at a table or counter; you'll need chairs, possibly a table. If you have children, do you need highchairs? I thought my son would be fine without one as he's almost 2, but he quickly proved me wrong.
-A bed. We currently have a king inflatable mattress. This is smaller than an american king bed, so my husband is currently sleeping on the couch.
-Couch or chairs. If you aren't going to be home much, you could possibly make do with just kitchen table and chairs, but if your spouse stays at home or if you want to enjoy some tv, you'll want something in the living room as well.
-Towels. Yup, you need to shower. I had remembered to pack towels for my husband and I, but forgot our son.
-Soap/Shampoo. You can easily buy this once you get here, but if you want to be able to get in and settle without running out to buy essentials, you'll need to have some at your place already.
-Linens. You could make do with just a blanket for your bed, but that depends on how long you will be without your things and what you can tolerate.
-Pillow. If you have a special pillow (special-medical, not special-sentimental), you might want to bring it with you. I get migraines if I sleep wrong so I knew my pillow had to come with me.
-TV. Obviously can't be brought with you as air freight, but if you can arrange to have it in your place when you arrive, it helps keep you from going crazy. You might want something to play movies on as well, if that suits you.
-Dishes/Silverware. You need to eat. You can't live on take-away forever. Grocery stores have excellent chilled meals, and it's just nicer to eat with real silverware. Makes you feel less like you're on vacation. Don't forget some type of serving ware as well. Even if it's just one big spoon, you'll be glad you had it.
-Can Opener. Pretty obvious why. A lot of cans are tabbed, but not all.
-Medications. Make sure you have at least a month supply with you. That will give you time to get settled, get registered with NHS and find a local surgery, which can take a while if you aren't accepted at the first.
-Coffee and Coffee Maker/Kettle. Again, can be purchased when you arrive if you feel like going out.
-Baby/Child Needs. Someplace to sleep, toys, bottles/sip cups, diapers/training potty, lovie, food for a day or two until you can get out to shop, monitor. Our poor boy has been sleeping in a playpen now for 6 weeks.
-Cleaning Supplies. dish soap, dishwasher tablets, laundry detgt, a dishrag and/or sponge. Those are the most immediately needed.
-Books. If you read, bring a few. You might find you have a lot of free time on your hands until your things arrive. I suddenly have time to sit and do nothing. Once our stuff comes I'll be unpacking, then rearranging, then cleaning and crafting and suddenly wishing I had time to just sit again.
-Food. Some basic sustenance until you can get out.
-Paper Products. Toilet tissue, paper towel, tissues.
-Phone. You'll want to stay connected with home. Unless you can arrange for your home phone to be turned on when you arrive, you'll need a mobile phone that can make international calls. You can usually have this feature turned on your existing phone before you leave the US.
-Computer/Internet. Internet can take some time to get setup. You could get a pay-as-you-go USB stick until your high speed can be installed. We're on week 3 and we still have no high speed internet. And that's not because we slacked in trying to get anything setup.
From the date our belongings were shipped, we were in another state for 4 weeks before coming to England. So we were that long without the need of those things. Once we got here, we found out it would be another 4 weeks before our stuff arrived.
I had thought of a lot of things we would need, and expected to get them all when we got here. Other things I forgot about. Luckily we had wonderful arrangements on this end and ended up quite comfortable until our things get here. Also, we move directly into our permanent residence. We didn't stay in a furnished place first or a hotel. So I'm going to list items that you would need to have to live someplace in the hopes that it helps you plan better for your move. If any of these items can be brought with you, as air freight or in luggage, that is probably best. If not, you could try to make arrangements for it to be here when you arrive. The last thing you'll want to do (unless you can sleep soundly on a plane) when you arrive is go shopping. Note: this is all additional to the obvious clothing and shoes etc.
-A place to eat - whether it be on your couch or at a table or counter; you'll need chairs, possibly a table. If you have children, do you need highchairs? I thought my son would be fine without one as he's almost 2, but he quickly proved me wrong.
-A bed. We currently have a king inflatable mattress. This is smaller than an american king bed, so my husband is currently sleeping on the couch.
-Couch or chairs. If you aren't going to be home much, you could possibly make do with just kitchen table and chairs, but if your spouse stays at home or if you want to enjoy some tv, you'll want something in the living room as well.
-Towels. Yup, you need to shower. I had remembered to pack towels for my husband and I, but forgot our son.
-Soap/Shampoo. You can easily buy this once you get here, but if you want to be able to get in and settle without running out to buy essentials, you'll need to have some at your place already.
-Linens. You could make do with just a blanket for your bed, but that depends on how long you will be without your things and what you can tolerate.
-Pillow. If you have a special pillow (special-medical, not special-sentimental), you might want to bring it with you. I get migraines if I sleep wrong so I knew my pillow had to come with me.
-TV. Obviously can't be brought with you as air freight, but if you can arrange to have it in your place when you arrive, it helps keep you from going crazy. You might want something to play movies on as well, if that suits you.
-Dishes/Silverware. You need to eat. You can't live on take-away forever. Grocery stores have excellent chilled meals, and it's just nicer to eat with real silverware. Makes you feel less like you're on vacation. Don't forget some type of serving ware as well. Even if it's just one big spoon, you'll be glad you had it.
-Can Opener. Pretty obvious why. A lot of cans are tabbed, but not all.
-Medications. Make sure you have at least a month supply with you. That will give you time to get settled, get registered with NHS and find a local surgery, which can take a while if you aren't accepted at the first.
-Coffee and Coffee Maker/Kettle. Again, can be purchased when you arrive if you feel like going out.
-Baby/Child Needs. Someplace to sleep, toys, bottles/sip cups, diapers/training potty, lovie, food for a day or two until you can get out to shop, monitor. Our poor boy has been sleeping in a playpen now for 6 weeks.
-Cleaning Supplies. dish soap, dishwasher tablets, laundry detgt, a dishrag and/or sponge. Those are the most immediately needed.
-Books. If you read, bring a few. You might find you have a lot of free time on your hands until your things arrive. I suddenly have time to sit and do nothing. Once our stuff comes I'll be unpacking, then rearranging, then cleaning and crafting and suddenly wishing I had time to just sit again.
-Food. Some basic sustenance until you can get out.
-Paper Products. Toilet tissue, paper towel, tissues.
-Phone. You'll want to stay connected with home. Unless you can arrange for your home phone to be turned on when you arrive, you'll need a mobile phone that can make international calls. You can usually have this feature turned on your existing phone before you leave the US.
-Computer/Internet. Internet can take some time to get setup. You could get a pay-as-you-go USB stick until your high speed can be installed. We're on week 3 and we still have no high speed internet. And that's not because we slacked in trying to get anything setup.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
visa service
My suggestion to anyone who ever needs a visa: use a service. There are services you can hire who apply for your visa for you. They make sure you have all the info you need, and can give you status updates, where you can't get them if you apply on your own. With all we've gone through with ours, it would have been WELL worth the money to have saved our sanity.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
More visa info
Wow. Well, our visa applications have been submitted, mailed overnight last night and should arrive at 10:30 this morning. However...
When you fill out your application online (which is how you do it if you live in the US), be sure to READ everything on the screen as you're filling it out. My husband applied for a Tier 2 visa, and on the very first page of the application, it gave us some really important information about things that needed to be included as supporting documents.
DO NOT trust the list of required documents that comes in the email once you've completed the application. That makes it look like you hardly need to send anything at all. If I had gone by that, we'd be sorely wounded when we got rejected or severely delayed. I encourage you to go to the following website. It was the most thorough about listing all required information. All other places I looked only gave pieces of info. How To Apply For A UK Visa Select the visa you are applying for and it will give you the info you need. Keep in mind that this is specific to the UK, since that's where we're going, but I'm sure there is a page similar for your destination.
The worst part, I found, about submitting our application was the lack of guidance. The website mentioned above is the best one I found, but unfortunately I didn't find it until we had already sent our applications. Once I know whether we've been granted visas, I'll post a list of tips; things I included with our applications.
Either way, the process is not easy. A lot of what you do is repetitive, but necessary. And it was very hard to part with all original documents to send in the applications, including our passports. But yes, you MUST send original documents.
Stay tuned for an update on our application status.
When you fill out your application online (which is how you do it if you live in the US), be sure to READ everything on the screen as you're filling it out. My husband applied for a Tier 2 visa, and on the very first page of the application, it gave us some really important information about things that needed to be included as supporting documents.
DO NOT trust the list of required documents that comes in the email once you've completed the application. That makes it look like you hardly need to send anything at all. If I had gone by that, we'd be sorely wounded when we got rejected or severely delayed. I encourage you to go to the following website. It was the most thorough about listing all required information. All other places I looked only gave pieces of info. How To Apply For A UK Visa Select the visa you are applying for and it will give you the info you need. Keep in mind that this is specific to the UK, since that's where we're going, but I'm sure there is a page similar for your destination.
The worst part, I found, about submitting our application was the lack of guidance. The website mentioned above is the best one I found, but unfortunately I didn't find it until we had already sent our applications. Once I know whether we've been granted visas, I'll post a list of tips; things I included with our applications.
Either way, the process is not easy. A lot of what you do is repetitive, but necessary. And it was very hard to part with all original documents to send in the applications, including our passports. But yes, you MUST send original documents.
Stay tuned for an update on our application status.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Visa update
I was wrong about something with the visas. Actually, my husband was wrong. He thought we couldn't complete our visa applications until we had an NI number. This is incorrect. During the application process, you are asked if you have an NI number. If you say Yes, it will obviously ask you for it. Since we don't yet have one, I said No and was able to complete the application process easy-peasy.
The best part of all is that we don't have to travel to the consulate in NYC like we thought we might have to. We can go to a local support center for fingerprinting and photographs, and then we mail our applications to NYC for processing.
If you're way behind schedule, like we are, you can also purchase priority processing which allows your application to be processed in 48 hours. The cost for that is $150 per visa. Ouch. But if you're in a bind, it might be worth it.
The best part of all is that we don't have to travel to the consulate in NYC like we thought we might have to. We can go to a local support center for fingerprinting and photographs, and then we mail our applications to NYC for processing.
If you're way behind schedule, like we are, you can also purchase priority processing which allows your application to be processed in 48 hours. The cost for that is $150 per visa. Ouch. But if you're in a bind, it might be worth it.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Taxes
A word or two about taxes. Be sure to research the taxes you'll be required to pay when you live in the UK. Here are a few of them. I won't do more than name and briefly describe them because rules and amounts change, but at least you'll have an idea what you're in for:
Television License - Yes, you have to buy a license to watch tv. Period. Even if you have just one tv.
Council Tax - based on value of the property that you live in. So if you rent, you are NOT excluded. You pay based on the value of the house you're renting.
Income Tax - Yes, they have it there too.
Road Tax - Based on the engine size and age of your car. Paid on an annual, or 6-month basis.
VAT (value added tax) - ie sales tax
Capital Gains Tax - for investments
Television License - Yes, you have to buy a license to watch tv. Period. Even if you have just one tv.
Council Tax - based on value of the property that you live in. So if you rent, you are NOT excluded. You pay based on the value of the house you're renting.
Income Tax - Yes, they have it there too.
Road Tax - Based on the engine size and age of your car. Paid on an annual, or 6-month basis.
VAT (value added tax) - ie sales tax
Capital Gains Tax - for investments
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Overseas Shipping
What we did: We packed things in boxes that made sense to pack. We didn't pack things like laundry baskets, baby swing, large baby toys, etc. Obviously we didn't pack furniture, part of our shipping service included them wrapping all the furniture.
What happened: When the shippers got there, they said EVERYTHING had to be in a box. I'm not sure that applies to all shippers, but here's why: They were going to take a palette, stack all our stuff on it, and wrap it all up with plastic wrap-type stuff. So things couldn't be oddly shaped or poking out or anything. Then we were going to be charged based on weight and shipping space used.
What we should have done: Let the shippers come in and pack everything for us. They know how to pack to get more things in less space and save you money. We couldn't do this because half of our belongings were going to another state for storage, but you can be darn sure that that is how I'm going to do it when we come back to the states.
What happened: When the shippers got there, they said EVERYTHING had to be in a box. I'm not sure that applies to all shippers, but here's why: They were going to take a palette, stack all our stuff on it, and wrap it all up with plastic wrap-type stuff. So things couldn't be oddly shaped or poking out or anything. Then we were going to be charged based on weight and shipping space used.
What we should have done: Let the shippers come in and pack everything for us. They know how to pack to get more things in less space and save you money. We couldn't do this because half of our belongings were going to another state for storage, but you can be darn sure that that is how I'm going to do it when we come back to the states.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Visas, part deux
Okay, plan getting your visa WAY in advance. Make sure your employer has everything set on their end, and bug the snot out of them if you need to. Then get your application in super early. We are STILL waiting on an NI number, which we can't complete the visa application without. We live about 30 minutes from the Atlanta UK Consulate, but since we won't have them ready by the time my son and I leave GA, we're going to have to make the 6-hour trek to NYC to get them. Funniest (or saddest) part is that we fly into NYC to get our flight to the UK. However, our layover isn't long enough to allow us to go get them then. Talk about a nightmare. Ugh. I'm past starting to regret this decision to move to the UK...
Friday, May 14, 2010
Visas
We finally have plane tickets booked, but I'm still a little concerned about our Visas. My son and I leave the state a week from tomorrow, and we still don't have Visas. In order to get them, you need to have an address, and your NI (national insurance) number. We have neither yet.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Boxes, boxes, and more boxes
The big packing frenzy has begun. My son and I leave GA in less than 3 weeks. We still don't know who is shipping our stuff, how it should be packed, how to label the boxes, what to do with our furniture. We also don't know what, if any, furniture we'll have when we get there. So far, it looks like we will be sleeping on the floor in our things haven't arrived by the time we do. At least I'm bringing the pack & play for our son to sleep in. Now, most of this lack of information is because my husband isn't asking the questions. The rest is because of a slight delay due to personal issues on his boss's end. I really dislike that all men are involved with this move. I can't get any answers I need cause the guys are all so laid back about it. Ugh. So I just pack away, hoping that I'm doing something right and hoping I don't have to redo a lot once we know these details for certain.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Packing Woes
So the trouble we've run into now is giving an estimate of weight and volume of the stuff we'll be shipping. Um, my dishes are still in the cupboard, and I'm certain our bed won't fit on our bathroom scale. I understand that they need to know the size container that we need, but how in the world do they presume we tell them when this is not something we do regularly? I don't stand around guessing the weight of my things, or how many boxes (and what size) it would take to pack up an entire room in my house. When this is all said and done, I certainly hope I can give some hindsight to this issue so some of you out there will not have steam coming out your ears as I do at this very moment...
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Choosing what to bring
I promise this will be my last post today.
When thinking about what to bring, think about the following things:
How long will you be there?
What can you live without?
What can't you live without?
Do you really need to bring 14 pairs of shoes?
Can you afford to buy new things that you leave behind?
Can your electronics be used with an adapter so you don't need to buy new ones?
If you can afford to buy new stuff, can you find it there?
After you've answered these questions, my number one suggestion to you is CLEAN HOUSE! Remember, living quarters are much much smaller in the UK. I haven't even moved yet and I'm still worried that we'll end up bringing too much stuff with us. Anything you can live without, I would seriously consider getting rid of, unless you're coming back. I stored all my scrapbook/cardmaking supplies. Sure I can live without them for three years, but I certainly didn't want to have to start from scratch and buy all new stuff when we get back. I did minimize the stuff I stored however. I pulled out a lot of things I didn't think I'd ever use, and put them in our garage sale.
I threw out a lot of shoes. I was saving a few nicer pair in case I needed them. Let's face it; I'm a stay-at-home mom. I don't need fancy shoes. If I get to the UK and suddenly have a job and fancy parties to go to, I'll buy some nice shoes. Until then, out with glam and in with comfort.
I searched online to see if my skin care and cosmetics are readily available in the UK. Thankfully they are, but I still stocked up on some skin care items because 1) they're small and won't take up a lot of room when packing and 2) they're cheaper here.
So that's basically the mindset I'm having about all our stuff. If we can live without it for a while, do we really need to keep it? If we do, then it goes into storage. If we absolutely cannot live without it, or can't afford to buy it new, it comes with us. So far, the things that have fallen in this category are: our bed, our son's furniture, our kitchen table and chairs, our clothes, whatever electronics we can use with adapters, my knitting stuff (a girl's gotta have one luxury, right? Afterall, look at all those shoes I'm not bringing!).
That's my moving lesson for the day: minimize minimize minimize!!
When thinking about what to bring, think about the following things:
How long will you be there?
What can you live without?
What can't you live without?
Do you really need to bring 14 pairs of shoes?
Can you afford to buy new things that you leave behind?
Can your electronics be used with an adapter so you don't need to buy new ones?
If you can afford to buy new stuff, can you find it there?
After you've answered these questions, my number one suggestion to you is CLEAN HOUSE! Remember, living quarters are much much smaller in the UK. I haven't even moved yet and I'm still worried that we'll end up bringing too much stuff with us. Anything you can live without, I would seriously consider getting rid of, unless you're coming back. I stored all my scrapbook/cardmaking supplies. Sure I can live without them for three years, but I certainly didn't want to have to start from scratch and buy all new stuff when we get back. I did minimize the stuff I stored however. I pulled out a lot of things I didn't think I'd ever use, and put them in our garage sale.
I threw out a lot of shoes. I was saving a few nicer pair in case I needed them. Let's face it; I'm a stay-at-home mom. I don't need fancy shoes. If I get to the UK and suddenly have a job and fancy parties to go to, I'll buy some nice shoes. Until then, out with glam and in with comfort.
I searched online to see if my skin care and cosmetics are readily available in the UK. Thankfully they are, but I still stocked up on some skin care items because 1) they're small and won't take up a lot of room when packing and 2) they're cheaper here.
So that's basically the mindset I'm having about all our stuff. If we can live without it for a while, do we really need to keep it? If we do, then it goes into storage. If we absolutely cannot live without it, or can't afford to buy it new, it comes with us. So far, the things that have fallen in this category are: our bed, our son's furniture, our kitchen table and chairs, our clothes, whatever electronics we can use with adapters, my knitting stuff (a girl's gotta have one luxury, right? Afterall, look at all those shoes I'm not bringing!).
That's my moving lesson for the day: minimize minimize minimize!!
Great helpful document
I found a great document the other day online. Unfortunately you have to pay for it, but so far it's been completely worth it. The guy who wrote it talks about all the things you'll need to expect as far as fees, getting through customs, buying/renting a house/car, healthcare, etc. He includes somewhat of a checklist of things to get done at different time intervals before you leave. He even had a section about pregnancy and having a child in the UK which I especially appreciated. Anyway, the document can be found here: How to Arrive and Thrive in the UK
I couldn't find any reviews of it online, but with his money-back guarantee I felt like I had nothing to lose in trying it out. So far, as I said, I have not been disappointed. It's 195 pages and has info on everything you can think of, and then some.
One downside I have found but is easily corrected: He has written the document for any nationality moving to the UK, not specifically Americans (dangit! *grin*). So at one point he mentions that you need an international drivers license to drive over there. This is not true for Americans. It obviously won't hurt you to have one, but since we live in an English speaking country, our drivers license is good for one year, and it's very easy to convert it to a UK license when/if you choose to do so. So, even though that one thing was questionable in his document, I was easily able to check up on it with the links he has included. He has links to all the most up-to-date and trustworthy information.
I give it an A so far!
I couldn't find any reviews of it online, but with his money-back guarantee I felt like I had nothing to lose in trying it out. So far, as I said, I have not been disappointed. It's 195 pages and has info on everything you can think of, and then some.
One downside I have found but is easily corrected: He has written the document for any nationality moving to the UK, not specifically Americans (dangit! *grin*). So at one point he mentions that you need an international drivers license to drive over there. This is not true for Americans. It obviously won't hurt you to have one, but since we live in an English speaking country, our drivers license is good for one year, and it's very easy to convert it to a UK license when/if you choose to do so. So, even though that one thing was questionable in his document, I was easily able to check up on it with the links he has included. He has links to all the most up-to-date and trustworthy information.
I give it an A so far!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
So many questions
These are some of the questions I've had tumbling around in my head since it first became clear that this whole journey might really happen:
Where will we live?
How will our belongings get there (and not take forever)?
What do we need to bring with us?
Will I have trouble getting prenatal healthcare?
Will we be able to open a bank account (I've heard it's a nightmare)?
How will we pay bills until we can open a bank account?
What electronics can we bring that will work with adapters?
Will Mr. R qualify for a visa?
How will I help our son adapt to a 5 hour time difference?
Will I be able to get certain products that I like here (makeup, medicine, etc)?
Will we have to get new driver's licenses?
What will I need to do for my new baby to be an American citizen when we repatriate?
How is the best way to pay our American credit cards with UK money?
And most importantly: How often can I come home to visit my family?!
Many of these questions have already been answered, but I wanted a starting point so you can see how clueless we were, and then as we gather information, I'll include it here.
Where will we live?
How will our belongings get there (and not take forever)?
What do we need to bring with us?
Will I have trouble getting prenatal healthcare?
Will we be able to open a bank account (I've heard it's a nightmare)?
How will we pay bills until we can open a bank account?
What electronics can we bring that will work with adapters?
Will Mr. R qualify for a visa?
How will I help our son adapt to a 5 hour time difference?
Will I be able to get certain products that I like here (makeup, medicine, etc)?
Will we have to get new driver's licenses?
What will I need to do for my new baby to be an American citizen when we repatriate?
How is the best way to pay our American credit cards with UK money?
And most importantly: How often can I come home to visit my family?!
Many of these questions have already been answered, but I wanted a starting point so you can see how clueless we were, and then as we gather information, I'll include it here.
Friday, April 2, 2010
First thoughts
I'm not sure I even know where to start with this blog... These plans first started to come to order around the beginning of January and have slowly (very slowly) taken shape from there.
This is, as is told by the title of this blog, a temporary adventure. We will be back living in the states in time for Scooch to start school. That will be long enough to hopefully fulfill Mr. R's contentment, and probably about as long as I can possibly stand to be that far away from my family. When we do repatriate, we'll be planting ourselves firmly in the north. Our goal: New York, upstate. Reality: wherever Mr. R can find a good job that is within a few hours drive of my family.
As is the way with all plans, these are subject to change. I wouldn't say that we are for SURE moving until we have purchased plane tickets and have sent our belongings on their way. I'm a little nervous about the long plane trip with a toddler who doesn't like to sit still, ever. And the time change. Oh the time change. An hour for Daylight Saving Time is bad enough; 4 hours should be...an adventure *grin*.
Mr. R has an amazing business opportunity with people he has previously worked with. I will continue to stay home with Scooch and our rapidly growing new addition; as well as continue to work on my own little venture (more to come on that).
To start, we'll be living in beautiful Ilkley, which is north of London. Mr. R will have a short commute to work and hopefully I'll be able to walk to the market, since I've heard the refrigerators over there are college-sized and I'll probably be making the trip several times a week. I'm hoping that will help me work off the baby weight too; lots of walking.
The purpose of this blog, is to (hopefully) eventually help others who are making the same transition. There are a lot of questions I have about this adventure, and a lot of information is scattered all over the internet, or not there at all. I plan to chronicle our times with the hopes that someone will find it helpful for them in the future.
So ready or not, here we go!!
This is, as is told by the title of this blog, a temporary adventure. We will be back living in the states in time for Scooch to start school. That will be long enough to hopefully fulfill Mr. R's contentment, and probably about as long as I can possibly stand to be that far away from my family. When we do repatriate, we'll be planting ourselves firmly in the north. Our goal: New York, upstate. Reality: wherever Mr. R can find a good job that is within a few hours drive of my family.
As is the way with all plans, these are subject to change. I wouldn't say that we are for SURE moving until we have purchased plane tickets and have sent our belongings on their way. I'm a little nervous about the long plane trip with a toddler who doesn't like to sit still, ever. And the time change. Oh the time change. An hour for Daylight Saving Time is bad enough; 4 hours should be...an adventure *grin*.
Mr. R has an amazing business opportunity with people he has previously worked with. I will continue to stay home with Scooch and our rapidly growing new addition; as well as continue to work on my own little venture (more to come on that).
To start, we'll be living in beautiful Ilkley, which is north of London. Mr. R will have a short commute to work and hopefully I'll be able to walk to the market, since I've heard the refrigerators over there are college-sized and I'll probably be making the trip several times a week. I'm hoping that will help me work off the baby weight too; lots of walking.
The purpose of this blog, is to (hopefully) eventually help others who are making the same transition. There are a lot of questions I have about this adventure, and a lot of information is scattered all over the internet, or not there at all. I plan to chronicle our times with the hopes that someone will find it helpful for them in the future.
So ready or not, here we go!!
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