Well, it's officially happening - we are moving to Europe! S accepted the new job, quit the old one, and flies off to The Netherlands tonight. It's been a frantic couple of weeks (after a great relaxing week in Hawaii) getting him ready to go. Lots of social activities, trying to finish up the remodeling project here at the house, taking care of "honey-do" stuff, figuring out what to pack, etc. The guest room bed is covered in things he has to pack. He's having a hard time figuring out what he'll need. S will be in a hotel until he can find an apartment in Eindhoven, so he can't bring too much stuff.
On Thursday he gets all his work permit stuff, residency, etc. - the company is arranging it all. He just has to show up and bring certain documents. Friday he'll look at apartments. Then the company will start working on getting the girls and I long-term visas for France. The French government may not approve our living in France since the majority of S's business will be done in The Netherlands. But they have approved it in the past, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will work out. The girls have already been accepted into the American School in Paris and we really want to give France a try. Learn a new language (no, none of us speak French), live in a different culture, eat lots of cheese...We know it's going to be VERY difficult, but we are up for the challenge! In the meantime we have started school here at home and are trying to just go along with our normal daily lives. It will be strange to be a single mom for awhile. Luckily Sean gets to come home once a month until we move over, so it won't be as bad...
If France doesn't work out, we need to decide between London and Amsterdam. Neither will probably happen until January as the girls are on the waitlists at the schools in those cities, and we have to wait until Jan 1, 2012 when England will lift the animal quarantine laws for America and other EU countries. Since we plan on bringing our 2 (big) dogs and cats with us, we will be hanging out here until the law is lifted.
So keep us in your thoughts & cross your fingers that France works out for us!
Au revoir!
DebWay
