FLASHBACK POST: I actually wrote this before we left the states and never posted it. So here it is: my thoughts right before we left:) I’ll be doing an update to let everyone know how it all went and where we are now.
Only six days left until we take off for our adventure to England. Nerves are really starting to set in and the excitement that has been building since last October is tempered with anxiousness about the unknown. Where will we live? What will it really be like? Will we like it? How will we make it through three years? Did we do enough to prepare to actually live away from everything we know and rely on?
Since my husband received the news that we would be leaving last October we have been mentally preparing for this move. First was just the general excitement of moving out of the country for this exciting new opportunity. We began making plans based on what we thought would happen. What do we take, what do we leave behind. How are the kids going to handle the move.
We have three wonderful kids who are 13, 10, and 8. At first they were not over joyed with the thought of leaving the United States. Not that I blame them they wanted to move to be closer to their friends in Virginia. Virginia is the closest thing to home for our kids and its where their friends live. Not to say that we don’t have a strong support system in each of Mike and I’s family, we truly do. But unfortunately we haven’t lived close to our extended family for a couple of years. Virginia was the first duty station where they had a support system outside of our little family and we had a great life there. Unfortunately military life doesn’t always work out the way a military kid might want it too. After discussing how exciting this opportunity is the kids are definitely on board with this new adventure. They are ready for a new experience meeting new people and living in a new country. As soon as we get settled I will definitely be updating on what it is like for the kids in everyday life: schools, sports, and activities.
After the new year move preparations ramped up. As a family we all had to be cleared medically in order to head overseas. That was followed by applying for official passports and visas. The amount of paperwork my husband did was huge but we got through it one step at a time. Sometimes the process seemed overwhelming but slowly each step was checked off and we got official orders with our departure date. It was definitely surreal to go through the process.
Then the process just accelerated it was time for movers. We had three sets of movers. One to take our Household Goods, one to take our unaccompanied baggage, and one set for all the stuff that didn’t make the cut to go all the way to England, non-temporary storage. I only hope that everything made it to the right place now. And then it was time to set off on a whirl wind trip across country to visit family and friends.
Now here we are 6 days away. Our second car has been sold. Our suitcases are waiting to be packed for the last time (hope we can carry it all through the airport!) We are enjoying our last favorite meals that we aren’t sure we will be able to find while living in England.
Around the World with the Love of Five 