Despite the trip looming ahead on the horizon, this has actually been a really enjoyable week. I’ve gotten a chance to do a lot of fun going-away activities with friends and family, and it really makes me appreciate how amazing the people in my life are.
A few examples: Even though she’s far away herself, K.C. texts me every day to make sure I’m not flipping out and has been a great source of support (as always). My brother cheerfully agreed to spend the afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese with Frankie and me, and gave us both just a wonderful time out while whipping us at skee ball and air hockey. Lisa took me out for a wonderful dinner on Friday night, and we have all of Monday set aside as a girls shopping day. Today (Sunday), Matt’s family is throwing a small going away party for us in Thornton where we’ll see his mom, sister, parents, aunts, and grandparents for the last time in a few months.
Everyone’s been so thoughtful, and it’s been wonderful feeling so loved, supported, and missed by everyone.
Also, to everyone reading the blog: Thanks! It makes us feel great that you’re interested in our trip, and we are going to miss you all terribly. We hope we’ll all be able to stay connected across the miles. (Call us… Skype us… Text us… Email us… Post blog comments! We’d love to hear from everyone.)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Package is in the Mail!
All went well at the fingerprinting place. It wasn't anything remotely like what I expected, though. I'm not sure what I thought I would see when I walked through the doors... Maybe smartly dressed government workers bustling around a state-of-the-art facility?
Not even close.
In reality, it was a dingy little one-room office at the far end of a run-down strip mall next to a "Smoker Friendly." The windows were all blacked out with some sort of reflective paper, but that's about as far as they took security at this place.
Since we were told that all of the appointments were booked up for that day, we expected the place to be extremely busy, and were resigned to settle in for a long wait.
When we walked through the door, though, it was totally deserted. No activity, no customers waiting... Nothing. There was a bored (super grouchy, possibly disgruntled) employee sitting at a folding table by the door reading the comics section of the paper. As Matt explained our situation, he barely looked up from his paper, grunted, and shooed us over to a woman at the far side of the room. She handed us a number, and before we even had time to turn around and walk to the bank of chairs to wait, a third woman on the far side of the room called our number. Basically, we just walked right in. The whole thing took about five minutes, and the employees said probably a grand total of five words to us.
For the life of me, I can't figure out why they claimed they couldn't fit us in until Monday. The most work being done at the place was by the guy who was busy reading the comics.
But, as odd as the experience was, we got everything finished up with the biometric data. Afterwards, we got Visa pictures taken, and headed over to Kinkos to overnight our materials to L.A. for final approval.
Keep your fingers crossed that it all makes it there on time. In order to make our flights, our Visas need to be back in our hands by Thursday at the latest. (We're cutting it close!)
Not even close.
In reality, it was a dingy little one-room office at the far end of a run-down strip mall next to a "Smoker Friendly." The windows were all blacked out with some sort of reflective paper, but that's about as far as they took security at this place.
Since we were told that all of the appointments were booked up for that day, we expected the place to be extremely busy, and were resigned to settle in for a long wait.
When we walked through the door, though, it was totally deserted. No activity, no customers waiting... Nothing. There was a bored (super grouchy, possibly disgruntled) employee sitting at a folding table by the door reading the comics section of the paper. As Matt explained our situation, he barely looked up from his paper, grunted, and shooed us over to a woman at the far side of the room. She handed us a number, and before we even had time to turn around and walk to the bank of chairs to wait, a third woman on the far side of the room called our number. Basically, we just walked right in. The whole thing took about five minutes, and the employees said probably a grand total of five words to us.
For the life of me, I can't figure out why they claimed they couldn't fit us in until Monday. The most work being done at the place was by the guy who was busy reading the comics.
But, as odd as the experience was, we got everything finished up with the biometric data. Afterwards, we got Visa pictures taken, and headed over to Kinkos to overnight our materials to L.A. for final approval.
Keep your fingers crossed that it all makes it there on time. In order to make our flights, our Visas need to be back in our hands by Thursday at the latest. (We're cutting it close!)
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Last Hurdle?
I think Matt would agree that this Visa application process has been way more involved than we originally imagined it would be. The amount of paperwork involved is truly staggering, and it seems like the process has a never-ending amount of steps. It was the beginning of January when Matt first started work on the Visa, and even though he’s been constantly working on it, we’re still not even totally finished.
Today, though, will hopefully put into place the last piece of the puzzle. Matt, Frankie, and I are taking the day to drive to Denver to visit some sort of secretive government facility where they will initiate the final steps of the process: fingerprints and eye scans.
The place itself can’t be located through the phone book or a web search… You can only find out about its location after you make an appointment to visit. There are only 100+ facilities like it throughout the country. Some people have to travel a long way to make their appointment. We’re lucky to have one so close. Still the secrecy is a little weird, don't you think?
When we finish up there, we have to FedEx all of our paperwork to Los Angeles for final approval. We’re sending a huge file full of 100 plus pages of documentation, all of which we’re gone over with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything is accurate. If all goes well, the Visa will be approved and FedExed back before our departure date next week.
Whew!
The only potential snag is the timing of everything. Technically, our eye scan and fingerprint appointment is for Monday, not today. We were a lttle worried, though, that a Monday appointment wouldn't give us enough time to get all of our travel documents back from Los Angeles. So, we're planning to drive down to the facility in Denver and just show up, hoping they will take mercy on us and squeeze us in. It's kind of a gamble, but Frankie is awfully cute... How can they resist her? (We tried a similar technique a few summers ago, using Frankie's cute little smile to charm our way past a security guard and onto a private beach in The Hamptons. Apparently, we're not above a little low-grade child exploitation.)
So... That's the scoop. Check back tomorrow to see if we were ushered away by armed guards.
Today, though, will hopefully put into place the last piece of the puzzle. Matt, Frankie, and I are taking the day to drive to Denver to visit some sort of secretive government facility where they will initiate the final steps of the process: fingerprints and eye scans.
Eye scans. So futuristic!
The place itself can’t be located through the phone book or a web search… You can only find out about its location after you make an appointment to visit. There are only 100+ facilities like it throughout the country. Some people have to travel a long way to make their appointment. We’re lucky to have one so close. Still the secrecy is a little weird, don't you think?
When we finish up there, we have to FedEx all of our paperwork to Los Angeles for final approval. We’re sending a huge file full of 100 plus pages of documentation, all of which we’re gone over with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything is accurate. If all goes well, the Visa will be approved and FedExed back before our departure date next week.
Whew!
The only potential snag is the timing of everything. Technically, our eye scan and fingerprint appointment is for Monday, not today. We were a lttle worried, though, that a Monday appointment wouldn't give us enough time to get all of our travel documents back from Los Angeles. So, we're planning to drive down to the facility in Denver and just show up, hoping they will take mercy on us and squeeze us in. It's kind of a gamble, but Frankie is awfully cute... How can they resist her? (We tried a similar technique a few summers ago, using Frankie's cute little smile to charm our way past a security guard and onto a private beach in The Hamptons. Apparently, we're not above a little low-grade child exploitation.)
So... That's the scoop. Check back tomorrow to see if we were ushered away by armed guards.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Packing Up
There’s been a flurry of activity at the house this week. Now that we have our departure date set, we’ve been scrambling to get everything organized, and to get all of our US utilities and services canceled. It’s actually kind of mind-boggling how many monthly services we have to shut off: trash, home phone, cable, internet, Netflix, XM Radio, cell phone, the local dairy… It’s a lot to keep track of. The whole experience has made me painfully aware of one thing: I hate automated customer service phone centers. They’re absolutely infuriating. Speaking to a computer instead of a real person makes me nuts. I especially hate it when the computer makes you choose what you’re calling about from a menu of choices, none of which usually exactly match what you want to talk about. The very first option on one of those computerized dealies should be: press one to speak to a real person.
Anyhow. End rant.
So, I’m spending the day talking to computerized voices on the phone, making lists of items to take in the trip, and working my way through endless loads of laundry. It’s simultaneously boring, exciting, and nerve wracking. (Laundry is never fun, but I’m totally psyched to leave for the trip. It’s nerve-wracking, because I’m completely paranoid that I’m going to forget something essential, like my laptop.)
Speaking of trip plans, Matt had an absolutely genius idea for our first week in the UK. Our Maryport house won’t be ready for us to move in until March 15. So instead of living uncomfortably in a single hotel room for a week, Matt had the brilliant idea to rent a vacation house for that eight day stretch. It’s actually cheaper than a week in a hotel, and will give us *tons* more room. (Why didn’t I think of that?)
The vacation rental is a two room house with a full kitchen and laundry facilities. It’s nothing fancy, but really a great place for us to transition to UK life. The hotel room would have been tough, since Matt and I would have to keep the lights low, tv off, and our voices down to a whisper after Frankie went to sleep in the early evening. Plus, with all of us having jetlag, our sleeping schedules will likely be sort of odd for the first few days. I’d hate to wake up in the middle of the night in a hotel room, unable to do anything except for lie quietly in bed trying not to disturb anyone. The vacation house will give us all a bit more independence.
The house is in a town called Broughton Moor. It’s walking distance to a small grocery store and a pub, but not much else. It will probably take a week or so for us to get my car, so Frankie and I will be spending a lot of time indoors for those first few days. There is a nice fenced backyard for Frankie to play in, though, so hopefully we won’t go too stir crazy.
Anyhow. End rant.
So, I’m spending the day talking to computerized voices on the phone, making lists of items to take in the trip, and working my way through endless loads of laundry. It’s simultaneously boring, exciting, and nerve wracking. (Laundry is never fun, but I’m totally psyched to leave for the trip. It’s nerve-wracking, because I’m completely paranoid that I’m going to forget something essential, like my laptop.)
Speaking of trip plans, Matt had an absolutely genius idea for our first week in the UK. Our Maryport house won’t be ready for us to move in until March 15. So instead of living uncomfortably in a single hotel room for a week, Matt had the brilliant idea to rent a vacation house for that eight day stretch. It’s actually cheaper than a week in a hotel, and will give us *tons* more room. (Why didn’t I think of that?)
The vacation rental is a two room house with a full kitchen and laundry facilities. It’s nothing fancy, but really a great place for us to transition to UK life. The hotel room would have been tough, since Matt and I would have to keep the lights low, tv off, and our voices down to a whisper after Frankie went to sleep in the early evening. Plus, with all of us having jetlag, our sleeping schedules will likely be sort of odd for the first few days. I’d hate to wake up in the middle of the night in a hotel room, unable to do anything except for lie quietly in bed trying not to disturb anyone. The vacation house will give us all a bit more independence.
The house is in a town called Broughton Moor. It’s walking distance to a small grocery store and a pub, but not much else. It will probably take a week or so for us to get my car, so Frankie and I will be spending a lot of time indoors for those first few days. There is a nice fenced backyard for Frankie to play in, though, so hopefully we won’t go too stir crazy.
Now that's all settled, all we have to worry about is packing up and figuring out how to transport ourselves and seven suitcases to the Denver airport. (!)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Good ol' Dog
Confession: The more real the departure date becomes, the more guilty I feel about leaving Roscoe behind. I'm so glad that Matt's family is going to take him in, and I know they're going to take great care of him. Heck, Roscoe will probably get even more attention over there than he does here.
Still, I'm going to miss the old guy. He's been with us since he was a baby, and it's kind of sad to move without him.
I really hope that the change is a smooth one for him.
We have a departure date!
All of the last-minute details are coming into place, and we finally have a date for our trip over. The big day is Friday, March 5th.
We have to get fingerprints and retina scans taken at some sort of official government agency this Friday, and then it's just a matter of days until the plane whisks us away across the ocean.
It's so exciting, but also so weird. We only have ten days left in the US. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all.
Baby, You Can Drive My Car
I've been trying to get used to the idea of driving in England. It's something that Matt does all the time, but for some reason I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept of driving on the other side of the road. These days, whenever I'm in the car I try to imagine what it will be like. If I'm making a left-hand turn, what lane do I turn into? Who has the right of way on those weird single-track streets of theirs? What's the deal with roundabouts, anyway?
I know that it will take a long time for driving to feel as automatic and instinctual as it does over here. Still, I’ve resigned myself to the idea. Learning to drive in England is an absolute must. I can’t rely on Matt to be my full-time chauffer, so I’m just going to have to figure it out. Besides, learning a new skill is a good thing, right?
So, after a few days of mulling over the prospect of the English roadways, I started feeling more comfortable with the idea. Conceptually, it’s like facing a mirror image where everything is flip-flopped to the other side. I even got to the point where I sketched out a couple of little drawings trying to visualize how the new rules of the road will operate. Eventually, I got to the point where I started to face the prospect with steely resignation. I can do this, I thought.
Just when I was mulling over my silly little diagrams and thinking that I could conquer English driving, I was stricken by the realization of something I hadn't factored into the equation.
Not only do they drive on the other side of the road, but the steering wheel is on the other side of the car, too.
I’m sure this isn’t news to you. And, of course, I knew about that too. But in all of my visualization, I had completely spaced out that (very crucial) detail. I blanked it out. I honestly can't believe that it didn’t occur to me sooner. Now, I have to re-think the whole equation. Back to the drawing board, I guess.
I’m hoping that I’ll look back at this blog in a month or so and laugh at how worked up I was getting about driving. I’m sure it’ll all be fine. (It has to be, right?) They essentially let American tourists step right off of a plane and into a rental car with no instruction, training, or hullabaloo. So, how hard can it be? Still, it’s tough to visualize. Especially for a girl who already dislikes driving. (So much so, that I didn’t get my US drivers license until I was 20 years old.)
Speaking of driving in the UK, I’m really glad that we’re going to be in England for under a year. If we stayed any longer, Matt and I would both have to go through the process of getting an English driving license, and from what I understand, that process is exhausting.
Here’s the scoop:
Apparently, you can live in the UK for up to a year and legally drive with a US license. After a year passes, though, you’re required to obtain an English driver’s license. The process isn’t easy. It’s recommended that you take a class with a private instructor, which usually takes a few weeks and is designed to prepare you for the testing process. After that, you’re asked to pass a very thorough “theory” test on the rules of the road, and take a “vehicle test” which quizzes you about basic car maintenance. Lastly, you have to get on the road with a certified instructor to pass a practical driving test. The driving test and the written tests are so time-intensive that they can’t be scheduled for the same day.
The driving test is notorious for having very nitpicky rules that, if broken, constitute an “automatic fail” by the testing agency. For example, if you turn the steering wheel hand-over-hand (criss-crossing your own hands while turning the wheel, like beginning drivers are often taught in the states), it’s an automatic fail.
Each part of the process costs a hefty fee. The “theory” and “vehicle” tests costs around $50 each, and the “practical” test can run anywhere from 100-150 dollars depending on the type of car you drive and the day of the week you take the exam. Everything has to be booked in advance, and there’s often a long waiting period to be able to get in for the tests.
This is all second-hand information, so the reality of the process might not be as overwhelming as these details make it seem. Still, I’ve read that 60% of American drivers fail at least one portion of the English driving test and are required to take it again. (Every time you take the test, you have to pay the testing fee again.) That’s a crazy large number, so it must be significantly more challenging than the process we have in place here.
It’s not all bad, though. I can’t help but think that the British drivers are probably a bit better than American drivers, based on how thoroughly they’re tested before they can get on the road. The only car accident I’ve ever been in was when I was blindsided by a car that ran a red light and smashed into me. The car that hit me was driven by a sixteen year old driver who had just gotten his license the week before the accident. So, maybe more preparation isn’t all bad, especially for young drivers. Still, for someone like me who has already been driving for twenty years, it all seems like overkill. (Plus, it seems especially weird that they would already let a US citizen drive around for a full year with no training , and only then require testing.)
Long story short, I’m glad I don’t have to take the test. Still, I can’t help but think that I might need some sort of help before I hop right into the car and speed off down those single-track roads. Matt has volunteered to give me lessons, and I’m sure his calm demeanor will make me completely at ease behind the wheel. (Here’s hoping!)
I know that it will take a long time for driving to feel as automatic and instinctual as it does over here. Still, I’ve resigned myself to the idea. Learning to drive in England is an absolute must. I can’t rely on Matt to be my full-time chauffer, so I’m just going to have to figure it out. Besides, learning a new skill is a good thing, right?
So, after a few days of mulling over the prospect of the English roadways, I started feeling more comfortable with the idea. Conceptually, it’s like facing a mirror image where everything is flip-flopped to the other side. I even got to the point where I sketched out a couple of little drawings trying to visualize how the new rules of the road will operate. Eventually, I got to the point where I started to face the prospect with steely resignation. I can do this, I thought.
Just when I was mulling over my silly little diagrams and thinking that I could conquer English driving, I was stricken by the realization of something I hadn't factored into the equation.
Not only do they drive on the other side of the road, but the steering wheel is on the other side of the car, too.
I’m sure this isn’t news to you. And, of course, I knew about that too. But in all of my visualization, I had completely spaced out that (very crucial) detail. I blanked it out. I honestly can't believe that it didn’t occur to me sooner. Now, I have to re-think the whole equation. Back to the drawing board, I guess.
I’m hoping that I’ll look back at this blog in a month or so and laugh at how worked up I was getting about driving. I’m sure it’ll all be fine. (It has to be, right?) They essentially let American tourists step right off of a plane and into a rental car with no instruction, training, or hullabaloo. So, how hard can it be? Still, it’s tough to visualize. Especially for a girl who already dislikes driving. (So much so, that I didn’t get my US drivers license until I was 20 years old.)
Speaking of driving in the UK, I’m really glad that we’re going to be in England for under a year. If we stayed any longer, Matt and I would both have to go through the process of getting an English driving license, and from what I understand, that process is exhausting.
Here’s the scoop:
Apparently, you can live in the UK for up to a year and legally drive with a US license. After a year passes, though, you’re required to obtain an English driver’s license. The process isn’t easy. It’s recommended that you take a class with a private instructor, which usually takes a few weeks and is designed to prepare you for the testing process. After that, you’re asked to pass a very thorough “theory” test on the rules of the road, and take a “vehicle test” which quizzes you about basic car maintenance. Lastly, you have to get on the road with a certified instructor to pass a practical driving test. The driving test and the written tests are so time-intensive that they can’t be scheduled for the same day.
The driving test is notorious for having very nitpicky rules that, if broken, constitute an “automatic fail” by the testing agency. For example, if you turn the steering wheel hand-over-hand (criss-crossing your own hands while turning the wheel, like beginning drivers are often taught in the states), it’s an automatic fail.
Each part of the process costs a hefty fee. The “theory” and “vehicle” tests costs around $50 each, and the “practical” test can run anywhere from 100-150 dollars depending on the type of car you drive and the day of the week you take the exam. Everything has to be booked in advance, and there’s often a long waiting period to be able to get in for the tests.
This is all second-hand information, so the reality of the process might not be as overwhelming as these details make it seem. Still, I’ve read that 60% of American drivers fail at least one portion of the English driving test and are required to take it again. (Every time you take the test, you have to pay the testing fee again.) That’s a crazy large number, so it must be significantly more challenging than the process we have in place here.
It’s not all bad, though. I can’t help but think that the British drivers are probably a bit better than American drivers, based on how thoroughly they’re tested before they can get on the road. The only car accident I’ve ever been in was when I was blindsided by a car that ran a red light and smashed into me. The car that hit me was driven by a sixteen year old driver who had just gotten his license the week before the accident. So, maybe more preparation isn’t all bad, especially for young drivers. Still, for someone like me who has already been driving for twenty years, it all seems like overkill. (Plus, it seems especially weird that they would already let a US citizen drive around for a full year with no training , and only then require testing.)
Long story short, I’m glad I don’t have to take the test. Still, I can’t help but think that I might need some sort of help before I hop right into the car and speed off down those single-track roads. Matt has volunteered to give me lessons, and I’m sure his calm demeanor will make me completely at ease behind the wheel. (Here’s hoping!)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Simple Pleasures
Matt got home at 11pm last night, and today marked his first morning home in two weeks. Knowing that she was going to finally get a chance to see her dad, Frankie crawled in bed with us at 5am, too excited to sleep another second. After a drowsy family cuddle session, here’s our first husband/wife exchange:
Matt: “Man.. I really wish we had some coffee in the house.”
Me: "There’s coffee. I bought it for you yesterday.”
Stunned pause. Matt looks deep into my eyes.
Matt: “I’ve never loved you more than I do at this moment.”
Everyone all together under one roof, early morning snuggling, and an unsolicited compliment. Plus... pancakes! It was a pretty great way to start the morning.
Matt: “Man.. I really wish we had some coffee in the house.”
Me: "There’s coffee. I bought it for you yesterday.”
Stunned pause. Matt looks deep into my eyes.
Matt: “I’ve never loved you more than I do at this moment.”
Everyone all together under one roof, early morning snuggling, and an unsolicited compliment. Plus... pancakes! It was a pretty great way to start the morning.
Friday, February 19, 2010
The Worm Has Turned
After venting all of those fears yesterday, I actually feel much better. Sometimes, I just have to purge all the negative thoughts in order to make room for the positive ones. (Wacky, I know.)
I'm full throttle on the "excited" side today. Matt's on his way home from the UK, and we'll spend the next two weeks finalizing the last-minute details. It looks like we'll all actualy get the chance to fly over to England together. This is really great news for me-- I wasn't really looking forward to navagating that long plane ride alone with Frankie. She's actually a pretty good flyer. Beter than me, really. Still, her perpetual refusal to nap could make for a looong trip on our own. So, I'm thankful that things fell in to place so that we could travel together.
On a completely unrelated note, I just found out that "Wired" magazine is planning on doing a feature on Matt and his cleanup work in the nuclear industry. How cool is that?
I'm full throttle on the "excited" side today. Matt's on his way home from the UK, and we'll spend the next two weeks finalizing the last-minute details. It looks like we'll all actualy get the chance to fly over to England together. This is really great news for me-- I wasn't really looking forward to navagating that long plane ride alone with Frankie. She's actually a pretty good flyer. Beter than me, really. Still, her perpetual refusal to nap could make for a looong trip on our own. So, I'm thankful that things fell in to place so that we could travel together.
On a completely unrelated note, I just found out that "Wired" magazine is planning on doing a feature on Matt and his cleanup work in the nuclear industry. How cool is that?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Question of the Day
How do you keep a four-year old (and yourself) sane while living in a hotel room for a week?
Looks like that's a question with which I'm going to get some first-hand experience.
Matt's finalizing details on the Maryport house, and we've run into a slight hitch. The house won't be available for us to move into until mid-March. That means that if we all move over there the second week of March like we planned, we'll have to spend our first week in the UK living out of a hotel room.
If it was just me & Matt, that'd be fine. Exciting even. But, I'm not sure how to make that work with Frankie. I mean, we'll make it work. But the question is...How?
It's just for a week, so it's not a big deal. Still, I imagine that during that week a lot of mother-daughter time will be spent wandering the streets like a couple of stray cats.
Looks like that's a question with which I'm going to get some first-hand experience.
Matt's finalizing details on the Maryport house, and we've run into a slight hitch. The house won't be available for us to move into until mid-March. That means that if we all move over there the second week of March like we planned, we'll have to spend our first week in the UK living out of a hotel room.
If it was just me & Matt, that'd be fine. Exciting even. But, I'm not sure how to make that work with Frankie. I mean, we'll make it work. But the question is...How?
It's just for a week, so it's not a big deal. Still, I imagine that during that week a lot of mother-daughter time will be spent wandering the streets like a couple of stray cats.
Control/Alt/Delete (Reboot)
Moving to England. It’s such a great opportunity, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful. I know that not many people get a chance like this. We’re going to see a new corner of the world, and to spend more time together as a family. Most likely, it’s going to be fabulous. But…I’m kind of FREAKING OUT about leaving. True, I’m going to see and experience new things and travel to places I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten a chance to see. But, I’m also going to have to start almost completely over—Like someone hit the “reboot” button on my life.
When I get to England, I won’t have any friends. I won’t have any of my stuff. No job. No direction. I’m worried that I’ll be lonely and isolated, and that Frankie and I will get into this weird co-dependent loop that happens when we spend too much time together.
I‘m sure everything will be fine, but the closer the trip gets, the more nervous I seem to get. The excitement is there too, but I can’t seem to stop the worry and the questions. What if I hate it over there? What if Frankie has trouble adjusting? Will she make any friends? Will I be able to learn how to drive? What if I miss my friends and family way too much? What will happen to our Colorado house when we’re gone? The teeny-tiny little details start to fray the edges my composure: For example, how on Earth will we get our Colorado mail? Does the USPS forward mail overseas?
Aaarrgh!
I hate that I’m such a worrier, so I try to stop. But, it’s hard to resist my nature. I’m kind of a control freak, and all of these questions just don’t have answers. It’s all a big question mark. This trip is something that, at the moment, feels largely out of my hands.
To his credit, Matt has been really great about making sure that this transition is as terror-free as possible for me. He’s organized everything; He found the house, fixed it so we can *both* have a car, has looked into schools for Frankie, and done about a million other incredible thoughtful and helpful things. I think he knows how easy it is for me to flip the switch to panic mode, and has done a lot to keep me sane and excited. And I still am excited. I just have to get past these nerves, and take the plunge.
Basically, in the course of a day I flip-flop a dozen times between excitement and sheer terror.
What am I getting myself into?
When I get to England, I won’t have any friends. I won’t have any of my stuff. No job. No direction. I’m worried that I’ll be lonely and isolated, and that Frankie and I will get into this weird co-dependent loop that happens when we spend too much time together.
I‘m sure everything will be fine, but the closer the trip gets, the more nervous I seem to get. The excitement is there too, but I can’t seem to stop the worry and the questions. What if I hate it over there? What if Frankie has trouble adjusting? Will she make any friends? Will I be able to learn how to drive? What if I miss my friends and family way too much? What will happen to our Colorado house when we’re gone? The teeny-tiny little details start to fray the edges my composure: For example, how on Earth will we get our Colorado mail? Does the USPS forward mail overseas?
Aaarrgh!
I hate that I’m such a worrier, so I try to stop. But, it’s hard to resist my nature. I’m kind of a control freak, and all of these questions just don’t have answers. It’s all a big question mark. This trip is something that, at the moment, feels largely out of my hands.
To his credit, Matt has been really great about making sure that this transition is as terror-free as possible for me. He’s organized everything; He found the house, fixed it so we can *both* have a car, has looked into schools for Frankie, and done about a million other incredible thoughtful and helpful things. I think he knows how easy it is for me to flip the switch to panic mode, and has done a lot to keep me sane and excited. And I still am excited. I just have to get past these nerves, and take the plunge.
Basically, in the course of a day I flip-flop a dozen times between excitement and sheer terror.
What am I getting myself into?
Monday, February 15, 2010
Old McDonald Had A Farm
Matt toured the final place on our housing list today. It was... I kid you not... a barn in the country.
The barn had recently been renovated into an apartment, and it seems like a nice enough place. No straw on the floor or cows sharing the living room, at any rate. Still, it's on a working farm in the middle of nowhere. The place doesn't have a dishwasher, or a clothes washer/dryer. There's not even cell phone service out there. I can't imagine being able to get cable tv or wi-fi out there, either.
If a house doesn't have a dishwasher, clothes washer, tv, phone, or internet, it could be Windsor Palace and I'd still refuse to stay there. Not sure what I would do for fun out there on the farm. Maybe churn butter, and practice coming to grips with my growing insanity? Or sob into giant piles of dirty clothes and dishes?
I dont think that I have the hearty pioneer constitution to make that place work. So, Maryport...here we come!
The barn had recently been renovated into an apartment, and it seems like a nice enough place. No straw on the floor or cows sharing the living room, at any rate. Still, it's on a working farm in the middle of nowhere. The place doesn't have a dishwasher, or a clothes washer/dryer. There's not even cell phone service out there. I can't imagine being able to get cable tv or wi-fi out there, either.
If a house doesn't have a dishwasher, clothes washer, tv, phone, or internet, it could be Windsor Palace and I'd still refuse to stay there. Not sure what I would do for fun out there on the farm. Maybe churn butter, and practice coming to grips with my growing insanity? Or sob into giant piles of dirty clothes and dishes?
I dont think that I have the hearty pioneer constitution to make that place work. So, Maryport...here we come!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Maryport: Still in the running!
Here's an update from Matt on Maryport:
So, it looks like Maryport might still be possible. Especially in light of the place Matt looked at yesterday-- Yesterday's house is in the Whitehaven town center, but is currently occupied by (no joke) a rugby team. It's filthy. Like, seriously gross. I can't imagine bringing myself to sleep on the mattress after those guys vacate the premises [[shudder]]
Matt's mission for the weekend is to walk around Maryport and snap a few photos. I'll post back with an update soon.
So there is in fact a school nearby and it is actually pretty good. Also, I talked to someone who was actaully from Maryport and they did not think it was bad. It apparently has a strong Rugby reputation and they tend to fight each other (the rugby teams that is). Anyway, it appears the concerns are exaggerated local perceptions. Anyway it is still by far the nicest place and the pictures don't do it justice.
So, it looks like Maryport might still be possible. Especially in light of the place Matt looked at yesterday-- Yesterday's house is in the Whitehaven town center, but is currently occupied by (no joke) a rugby team. It's filthy. Like, seriously gross. I can't imagine bringing myself to sleep on the mattress after those guys vacate the premises [[shudder]]
Matt's mission for the weekend is to walk around Maryport and snap a few photos. I'll post back with an update soon.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Destination: Scaryport?
After Matt called to tell me about the Maryport house, I was pretty excited. It's a little more isolated than I originally wanted, but the house was so nice I thought it would be worth making an exception.
But, the problems have started to stack up.
First, we realized that Maryport doesn't have a preschool for Frankie. And even if it *did* have a preschool, how would we get there? Matt would have our only car during the day, so I'd be out of luck for transportation. Also, Matt's office would be fairly far away. He'd be looking at a 30 minute commute, minimum. Probably significantly longer, since flooding in the area has caused problems with some of the roads.
Then, there's the nickname.
When Matt mentioned Maryport to some of his co-workers at the office, they all had a strong negative reaction. Apparently, it has a bit of a bad reputation. So much so that some of the locals refer to it as "Scaryport." I couldn't get a lot of details as to why Maryport had such a negative reputation. It's not because it's dangerous place. (None of the towns in that region have a reputation for being unsafe.) I just think that it's really small and fairly deserted. It's not the sort of place you'd necessarily go to on a vacation.
Any, who knows? Maybe that's an opinion unique to just the people Matt talked to at work. For example, if someone from out-of-state asked Matt what he thought of Loveland Colorado, he'd definitely say a lot of negative things. But there's nothing inherently wrong with Loveland...It's just not Matt's cup of tea.
Still, it was enough to tip the scales. Matt didn't sign a contract for the Maryport house, and the hunt continues.
But, the problems have started to stack up.
First, we realized that Maryport doesn't have a preschool for Frankie. And even if it *did* have a preschool, how would we get there? Matt would have our only car during the day, so I'd be out of luck for transportation. Also, Matt's office would be fairly far away. He'd be looking at a 30 minute commute, minimum. Probably significantly longer, since flooding in the area has caused problems with some of the roads.
Then, there's the nickname.
When Matt mentioned Maryport to some of his co-workers at the office, they all had a strong negative reaction. Apparently, it has a bit of a bad reputation. So much so that some of the locals refer to it as "Scaryport." I couldn't get a lot of details as to why Maryport had such a negative reputation. It's not because it's dangerous place. (None of the towns in that region have a reputation for being unsafe.) I just think that it's really small and fairly deserted. It's not the sort of place you'd necessarily go to on a vacation.
Any, who knows? Maybe that's an opinion unique to just the people Matt talked to at work. For example, if someone from out-of-state asked Matt what he thought of Loveland Colorado, he'd definitely say a lot of negative things. But there's nothing inherently wrong with Loveland...It's just not Matt's cup of tea.
Still, it was enough to tip the scales. Matt didn't sign a contract for the Maryport house, and the hunt continues.
The Third Contender
I know I called the place in Stainburn stately, but can a house in a subdivision really fit the definition of "stately"?
I'm going to go with...No.
But this next place? Crazy stately. It's on the outskirts of Maryport, which is a teeny tiny town with a population of 10,000. The house is nowhere near the city center, though. It's at the end of a secluded, wooded driveway. No neighbors... Just sweeping views of the countryside. I joked about Whitehaven being like like living in an episode of Green Acres. This would be more like landing on the moon.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially since the house is so beautiful. If I say the phrase "English contryside," what image pops into your mind? I'll bet that image pretty close to this house.
The place was built in 1870, and still has quite a few of the original details: tiled entryway, grand staircase, stone fireplaces, 12-foot ceilings. In a previous incarnation, the house used to be a countryside bed & breakfast. I think Matt fell in love with the house a little. He says pictures don't do it justice, but here it is anyway:
I'm going to go with...No.
But this next place? Crazy stately. It's on the outskirts of Maryport, which is a teeny tiny town with a population of 10,000. The house is nowhere near the city center, though. It's at the end of a secluded, wooded driveway. No neighbors... Just sweeping views of the countryside. I joked about Whitehaven being like like living in an episode of Green Acres. This would be more like landing on the moon.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially since the house is so beautiful. If I say the phrase "English contryside," what image pops into your mind? I'll bet that image pretty close to this house.
The place was built in 1870, and still has quite a few of the original details: tiled entryway, grand staircase, stone fireplaces, 12-foot ceilings. In a previous incarnation, the house used to be a countryside bed & breakfast. I think Matt fell in love with the house a little. He says pictures don't do it justice, but here it is anyway:
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Second Contender
The next house is in "Stainburn." Man...Those English towns sure do have some unusual names.
The house is vey nice, but the location is much more remote than Workington. I don't think Frankie and I could walk anywhere, and my fear is that we'd be holed up all day, trapped inside our house. (We'll only have one car, and it'd go with Matt to work durng the day.) That seems like a recipe for Cabin Fever.
So, it looks like kind of a long shot right now Still, here's a glimpse at stately Stainburn manor:
The house is vey nice, but the location is much more remote than Workington. I don't think Frankie and I could walk anywhere, and my fear is that we'd be holed up all day, trapped inside our house. (We'll only have one car, and it'd go with Matt to work durng the day.) That seems like a recipe for Cabin Fever.
So, it looks like kind of a long shot right now Still, here's a glimpse at stately Stainburn manor:
Maybe passing on this one is for the best. To be honest, I'm not sure I can imagine myself living in a town with "stain" prominently featured in its name.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The First Contestant
Matt made an appointment to look at a house today. It's in Workington, not Whitehaven. I'm not exactly sure how the two towns are different from one another. They're both costal towns, both very close to one another both the same size. Here's a picture of Workington:
Now, about the house. It's four bedrooms, and "terraced." Basically, that means that all of the rooms are spread out over three stacked levels. I'm sure Frankie would love that, since it's always been a dream of hers to live in a house with stairs. The nice other thing about the place is that it's in the city center, pretty much in the middle of everything. Frankie and I could walk to the shops, the park, and the train very easily. There's also a preschool right down the street that Frankie might be able to join.
I'm not in love with the fact that the house is technically a duplex (noisy neighbors make me fly into a Hulk-like rage), and the furnishings that it comes with aren't exactly my style. Still, I think we could definitely make it work.
Now, about the house. It's four bedrooms, and "terraced." Basically, that means that all of the rooms are spread out over three stacked levels. I'm sure Frankie would love that, since it's always been a dream of hers to live in a house with stairs. The nice other thing about the place is that it's in the city center, pretty much in the middle of everything. Frankie and I could walk to the shops, the park, and the train very easily. There's also a preschool right down the street that Frankie might be able to join.
I'm not in love with the fact that the house is technically a duplex (noisy neighbors make me fly into a Hulk-like rage), and the furnishings that it comes with aren't exactly my style. Still, I think we could definitely make it work.
(Oh... And yes, there is a dishwasher. Huzzah!)
Random Panicked Thought of the Day
...What if they don't have dishwashers in England!??
...Or Diet Dr. Pepper???
...Or Diet Dr. Pepper???
Sunday, February 7, 2010
House Hunting
Matt just left this morning for another 2-week trip to the UK. This particular trip, though, is really exciting. In addition to work (which I'm sure he'll be doing a lot of), Matt is also going to get started on looking for our new UK house. It's up to us to choose the house we'd like to stay in, so Matt is setting up a meeting with a leasing agent sometime next week. My hope is that he'll find something great, and we can get the house finalized soon. (I'm kind of a homebody, and finding a house I like is pretty important to me.)
We're thinking that we'll most likely end up renting a house in Whitehaven. Whitehaven is a little town on the west coat of England. The population of Whitehaven is right around 25,000. That'll be quite a change from where welive now, where the population is more along the lines of 135,000. Small town life, here we come! (I imagine myself blowing into town much like Zsa Zsa Gabor on Green Acres. "Hello, Daahlinks!!")
For the visually inclined, here's a link to a Google map of Whitehaven.
While I'm at it, here are a few pictures of Whitehaven:
We're thinking that we'll most likely end up renting a house in Whitehaven. Whitehaven is a little town on the west coat of England. The population of Whitehaven is right around 25,000. That'll be quite a change from where welive now, where the population is more along the lines of 135,000. Small town life, here we come! (I imagine myself blowing into town much like Zsa Zsa Gabor on Green Acres. "Hello, Daahlinks!!")
For the visually inclined, here's a link to a Google map of Whitehaven.
While I'm at it, here are a few pictures of Whitehaven:
Cute, right? But I can't help wondering...Where's the SuperTarget?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Plan
When Matt first brought up the idea of moving to the UK, I thought he was crazy. Drop everything and move to a completely different country? That's really not something that I can really see myself doing. Sure, it sounds nice in theory, but the reality of moving away from home and not seeing any of my family and friends for months at first seemed too overwhelming to even consider.
I guess part of me still thinks it's a little nuts. But, I'm warming up to the idea of an adventure. One of the main reasons I ended up convinced that this was the right move for us was the possibility of spending more time together as a family. For the last two years, Matt’s been traveling pretty much constantly. He’ll go on anywhere from one to three business trips a month. Some of the trips are short (a day or so), but others stretch on for weeks at a time. It seems that in his company, Matt’s become the go-to guy for travel. He's a mechanical engineer that works for a robotics company, and will go all over the world to talk to potential clients about technical solutions to their problems. Got an underground storage bunker filled with bombs that you’d like to dispose of? Talk to Matt, and he’ll figure out how to get the job done using some sort of cool robot. Do you have a room so contaminated by radiation that no human being can actually enter it? Matt’s your guy for solutions. There are so many interesting problems that he has to tackle every day, and he’s really dang good at his job. I’m proud of him. (Even though the technical aspects of some of his projects are sometimes way over my head.)
The problem is that I really miss having him home with me. Our daughter Frankie is only four, and it’s really challenging to take care of her all by myself. Also, I have a job too. I’ve worked as an instructor in the English Department at Colorado State University for the past twelve years. That means teaching three classes of composition or literature every semester. And you know what? That can really be a difficult, time-consuming job. There’s grading, class planning, office hours, department meetings, and an endless stream of student conferences and emails to deal with. When Matt’s gone, getting all of that done and while taking care of Frankie is incredibly difficult. Stressful, too. By the end of the day, I’m exhausted and don’t really feel very much like my otherwise cheerful, fun-loving self.
Plus, Frankie really misses her dad when he’s gone. I know that it’s hard for her to have him away from home so much. It’s not an ideal situation, not by a long shot.
So, something needed to change. We needed to find a way to spend more time together as a family. And when Matt brought up the UK idea, it seemed crazy. But the more we talked about it, the more we realized that it would solve a lot of the problems we were facing.
No, I don’t like the idea of leaving Colorado for months at a time. I’ll miss all of my friends and family terribly. And taking a semester off from my job at CSU, although a relief on some level, still feels incredibly weird. We’ll have to leave our senior-citizen pooch Roscoe behind, too. (He’ll be living with Matt’s parents, who have graciously invited him to stay at their house while we’re gone.)
But, this will put Matt, Frankie, and I all together in one place for a long stretch of time. That’s a good thing. Plus, with us living in England, Matt won’t be asked to take all of those business trips across the US (they’ll get someone closer to home to do that). And, a lot of the business trips he'll have to take in the UK, he’ll be able to do as a “day trip”—In most cases, he’d be home the same evening he left. And, if he had to go somewhere exotic like Paris, Frankie and I could actually go *with* him. That would give Frankie and I the chance to soak up the sights and see some really amazing places that we otherwise probably wouldn’t get a chance to see.
The company is giving us an amazing deal. They are going to give Matt a cost-of-living bonus, and will pay for a car, house, phone, cable, and utilities while we’re out there. It’s hard to say no to a package like that. We’re really lucky to have an opportunity like this, and I think it will be a terrific family adventure.
(It still feels a little crazy, though!)
I guess part of me still thinks it's a little nuts. But, I'm warming up to the idea of an adventure. One of the main reasons I ended up convinced that this was the right move for us was the possibility of spending more time together as a family. For the last two years, Matt’s been traveling pretty much constantly. He’ll go on anywhere from one to three business trips a month. Some of the trips are short (a day or so), but others stretch on for weeks at a time. It seems that in his company, Matt’s become the go-to guy for travel. He's a mechanical engineer that works for a robotics company, and will go all over the world to talk to potential clients about technical solutions to their problems. Got an underground storage bunker filled with bombs that you’d like to dispose of? Talk to Matt, and he’ll figure out how to get the job done using some sort of cool robot. Do you have a room so contaminated by radiation that no human being can actually enter it? Matt’s your guy for solutions. There are so many interesting problems that he has to tackle every day, and he’s really dang good at his job. I’m proud of him. (Even though the technical aspects of some of his projects are sometimes way over my head.)
The problem is that I really miss having him home with me. Our daughter Frankie is only four, and it’s really challenging to take care of her all by myself. Also, I have a job too. I’ve worked as an instructor in the English Department at Colorado State University for the past twelve years. That means teaching three classes of composition or literature every semester. And you know what? That can really be a difficult, time-consuming job. There’s grading, class planning, office hours, department meetings, and an endless stream of student conferences and emails to deal with. When Matt’s gone, getting all of that done and while taking care of Frankie is incredibly difficult. Stressful, too. By the end of the day, I’m exhausted and don’t really feel very much like my otherwise cheerful, fun-loving self.
Plus, Frankie really misses her dad when he’s gone. I know that it’s hard for her to have him away from home so much. It’s not an ideal situation, not by a long shot.
So, something needed to change. We needed to find a way to spend more time together as a family. And when Matt brought up the UK idea, it seemed crazy. But the more we talked about it, the more we realized that it would solve a lot of the problems we were facing.
No, I don’t like the idea of leaving Colorado for months at a time. I’ll miss all of my friends and family terribly. And taking a semester off from my job at CSU, although a relief on some level, still feels incredibly weird. We’ll have to leave our senior-citizen pooch Roscoe behind, too. (He’ll be living with Matt’s parents, who have graciously invited him to stay at their house while we’re gone.)
But, this will put Matt, Frankie, and I all together in one place for a long stretch of time. That’s a good thing. Plus, with us living in England, Matt won’t be asked to take all of those business trips across the US (they’ll get someone closer to home to do that). And, a lot of the business trips he'll have to take in the UK, he’ll be able to do as a “day trip”—In most cases, he’d be home the same evening he left. And, if he had to go somewhere exotic like Paris, Frankie and I could actually go *with* him. That would give Frankie and I the chance to soak up the sights and see some really amazing places that we otherwise probably wouldn’t get a chance to see.
The company is giving us an amazing deal. They are going to give Matt a cost-of-living bonus, and will pay for a car, house, phone, cable, and utilities while we’re out there. It’s hard to say no to a package like that. We’re really lucky to have an opportunity like this, and I think it will be a terrific family adventure.
(It still feels a little crazy, though!)
On your mark... Get ready....
I'm feeling a pretty significant amount of performance anxiety about starting a blog like this. First, there's the pressure: I'm a (currently non-practicing) college English teacher, so I feel a certain responsibility to make sure that my posts are grammatically sound, reasonably focused, and not riddled with bizarre misspellings. Second, there's the "blogging" thing: Five years ago, it was a great idea to start a blog. But now I'm fairly convinced that blogs are kind of an "old fogie" thing. All the kids are on Twitter... Who even keeps a blog anymore, let alone *starts* one in 2010? Third, there's the possibility that everything that I'm going to keep track of on this site will only be interesting to me: If I share this blog with friends and family, will everyone be hopelessly bored by my narcissistic ramblings? Totally possible.
Yet, I can't help but feel compelled to keep some sort of record of our big family adventure. It's not every day that you throw caution to the wind, pack everything you can into three suitcases, and head off to live in a different country. True, we'll only be there for six months, but it's going to be a big change for me, and if nothing else, I'd like a place to help me remember all of the details.
Thus, a blog is born.
Yet, I can't help but feel compelled to keep some sort of record of our big family adventure. It's not every day that you throw caution to the wind, pack everything you can into three suitcases, and head off to live in a different country. True, we'll only be there for six months, but it's going to be a big change for me, and if nothing else, I'd like a place to help me remember all of the details.
Thus, a blog is born.
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