Andrew left Chicago yesterday at about 1 pm and just arrived in Johannesburg at 5 pm local time there (10 am here in Chicago). We haven't yet spoken, but I've received a few text messages. He's excited and now that he is there, the reality of our move to South Africa is sinking in.
I'll have more details on his first trip later as well as a schedule of our comings and goings in the next few posts!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Where has the time gone already?
I thought I would have had more updates over the last month, but I didn't. Maybe there isn't much to report?
Let's see where we are.
Packing: It has begun...mainly books and picture frames at this point. I am trying to do one or two boxes per day so things are starting to pile up in the apartment. Alongside the packing, we have also made decisions about what is getting sold, etc. We have ads up on Craigslist for our futon couch/frame, a bookcase and a kitchen table and chairs. We've given countless of things away already including the oversized sofa chair, which Punk was in the process of destroying. 1800GotJunk took that away.
As part of the packing process, I got delayed with two related projects: getting all of our music into iTunes and scanning old pictures for posterity. It's extremely time consuming. The pictures are mostly scanned, but the CDs are only partially complete. I have to wait for Andrew to take a look at his CD books and let me know what he wants imported.
The calendar: Andrew has been in Atlanta for the past two weeks. He returns to Chicago on July 27, but then he leaves for South Africa for his first short-term assignment on July 29. He gets back on August 12 and is home for a day or two before returning to Atlanta for a week or so. Then he comes back on August 23 and we leave for LA on August 25. The schedule makes me dizzy just thinking about it.
CDC paperwork: I think we're caught up at least for now. We both had our physicals. Punk gets his in August before we fly with him to LA. I continue to work on the home inventory as I pack up boxes.
Punk: Of course, we really want our boy to come with us to South Africa. But I also want to do what's best for him. My parents have offered to keep him for a little while which is sounding like a better option for him....and us. The thought of flying him (Lufthansa allows pets in the cabin. I will NOT check him with cargo) for 10.5 hours from LA to Frankfurt and then another 10.5 hours from Frankfurt to Johannesburg just sounds like cruel punishment. Plus since we plan to do a lot of traveling while there, we will need reliable pet sitting services. But I'm torn. He's my boy and I know we will miss him terribly if he doesn't come with us. But I think he'll be happier in California. Right now, he's sitting/sleeping on my desk right next to my laptop. He just loves to be right in the middle of everything.
The move back to CA: We've set the date. We're leaving Chicago on September 23 so that we can be at my parents before they leave for Florida at the end of the month.
I guess that about sums up things for now. I have a list of other things like getting the car serviced, arranging the moving truck, etc. But all in due time.
Let's see where we are.
Packing: It has begun...mainly books and picture frames at this point. I am trying to do one or two boxes per day so things are starting to pile up in the apartment. Alongside the packing, we have also made decisions about what is getting sold, etc. We have ads up on Craigslist for our futon couch/frame, a bookcase and a kitchen table and chairs. We've given countless of things away already including the oversized sofa chair, which Punk was in the process of destroying. 1800GotJunk took that away.
As part of the packing process, I got delayed with two related projects: getting all of our music into iTunes and scanning old pictures for posterity. It's extremely time consuming. The pictures are mostly scanned, but the CDs are only partially complete. I have to wait for Andrew to take a look at his CD books and let me know what he wants imported.
The calendar: Andrew has been in Atlanta for the past two weeks. He returns to Chicago on July 27, but then he leaves for South Africa for his first short-term assignment on July 29. He gets back on August 12 and is home for a day or two before returning to Atlanta for a week or so. Then he comes back on August 23 and we leave for LA on August 25. The schedule makes me dizzy just thinking about it.
CDC paperwork: I think we're caught up at least for now. We both had our physicals. Punk gets his in August before we fly with him to LA. I continue to work on the home inventory as I pack up boxes.
Punk: Of course, we really want our boy to come with us to South Africa. But I also want to do what's best for him. My parents have offered to keep him for a little while which is sounding like a better option for him....and us. The thought of flying him (Lufthansa allows pets in the cabin. I will NOT check him with cargo) for 10.5 hours from LA to Frankfurt and then another 10.5 hours from Frankfurt to Johannesburg just sounds like cruel punishment. Plus since we plan to do a lot of traveling while there, we will need reliable pet sitting services. But I'm torn. He's my boy and I know we will miss him terribly if he doesn't come with us. But I think he'll be happier in California. Right now, he's sitting/sleeping on my desk right next to my laptop. He just loves to be right in the middle of everything.
The move back to CA: We've set the date. We're leaving Chicago on September 23 so that we can be at my parents before they leave for Florida at the end of the month.
I guess that about sums up things for now. I have a list of other things like getting the car serviced, arranging the moving truck, etc. But all in due time.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Learning to live with uncertainty and being patient.
If Andrew's job experiences over the last two years have taught me anything, it's that patience is key. That's a particularly troublesome life lesson for me because I am extremely impatient. I like things decided and known so I can plan my response. But that's not how this works. And by this, I mean the process of moving with the government...and life. It's all a good opportunity to practice dealing with uncertainty and unknowns and taking life as it presents itself to you.
Yesterday we learned in the morning that our move back to LA was not going to be covered (paid for) as we had been thinking and planning for all along. But by the afternoon, it was back on with guarantees that Andrew's old department was going to pick up the tab. That's just one example of the ups and downs of working through the process.
This morning Andrew has spent hours completing another form online. I'm not even sure what it's all about. But he's exasperated and it's not done.
The big decisions facing us now are related to the move back to LA and the subsequent move to SA. What do we keep? What do we sell? What is going into storage in LA? What is coming with us to SA? Can we lease a car in SA or get a loan? Or do we have to consider selling our Prius now to have cash to buy a good used car when we get there? How do we set up Vonage or some other VOIP to allow people to use a local LA number that will ring in South Africa?
You get the idea. Many of these things don't necessarily need to be decided today. So we are starting to pack up books. That's one thing we can do now.
Yesterday we learned in the morning that our move back to LA was not going to be covered (paid for) as we had been thinking and planning for all along. But by the afternoon, it was back on with guarantees that Andrew's old department was going to pick up the tab. That's just one example of the ups and downs of working through the process.
This morning Andrew has spent hours completing another form online. I'm not even sure what it's all about. But he's exasperated and it's not done.
The big decisions facing us now are related to the move back to LA and the subsequent move to SA. What do we keep? What do we sell? What is going into storage in LA? What is coming with us to SA? Can we lease a car in SA or get a loan? Or do we have to consider selling our Prius now to have cash to buy a good used car when we get there? How do we set up Vonage or some other VOIP to allow people to use a local LA number that will ring in South Africa?
You get the idea. Many of these things don't necessarily need to be decided today. So we are starting to pack up books. That's one thing we can do now.
Monday, June 27, 2011
It's officially official.
It's been a week now since Andrew's job offer for a position South Africa became officially official. I say 'officially official' because as we've been learning, nothing is really ever a done deal until you get more than two (or three) people to verify the story. It's kind of like being a reporter.
Anyway, last Monday was a blur of paperwork that had to be completed that day in order to kick start the entire process. Andrew has to get a new security clearance. We both have to get physicals. Punk has to get cleared from his vet. Inventory must be taken on anything and everything we plan to take with us to South Africa. Guess who is taking the lead on that? :-) Anyway, it all amounts to a huge pile of paperwork. Not to mention that we are first moving back to LA. There is so much to coordinate.
Now that we've had a week to let the news sink in that we will be living in South Africa, it's finally starting to feel more real...and overwhelming. But we are taking things in stages. That's all we can do.
Anyway, last Monday was a blur of paperwork that had to be completed that day in order to kick start the entire process. Andrew has to get a new security clearance. We both have to get physicals. Punk has to get cleared from his vet. Inventory must be taken on anything and everything we plan to take with us to South Africa. Guess who is taking the lead on that? :-) Anyway, it all amounts to a huge pile of paperwork. Not to mention that we are first moving back to LA. There is so much to coordinate.
Now that we've had a week to let the news sink in that we will be living in South Africa, it's finally starting to feel more real...and overwhelming. But we are taking things in stages. That's all we can do.
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