My families adventure on the road to oz via Germany

A manic week organising for the move back to the UK

V finally got the call, he has an interview so it has been all systems go. His interview is on Wed in North Yorkshire. The army will pay for the travel back to the UK and hotel costs for one night. So technically he should travel Tuesday for the interview Wed. But he got the ok to travel earlier. after all he has to relocate his whole family and needs to sort accomadation and schooling. so he is going to travel back on the early hours of Monday, will stay monday night at my parents and while there will catch up on sleep , get his suit drycleaned and a few other things. Then Tuesday he has arranged to view the house we are going to rent as well as sort the paperwork out , then i made an apt for him to see the head teacher at the school near to the rental. Interview Wed morning and then back on the ferry late Wed night. poor bloke is going to be so knackered.

As we are going to an area we are familiar with and enjoyed living i think we should be ok living in Catterick Garrison. Hopefully we will only be there for a year and then will be on our way to oz.

V is almost finished his CDR then he will be sending it off to go matilda and providing its ok it will then go to Engineers Australia. We is trying to get assessed as an Engineering Manager and if sucessful he will apply for sponosship from Vic gov as they have now included the EM on the skills list. Although V will be 40 with sponsorship and being on the MODL it will give him enough points.

Im still waiting for my new course material to arrive so i can crack on with proper studying. Ive tried using the PDF's but reading from the screen was hurting my eyes too much and giving really bad headaches .

Ive been thinking about what i want to do with my life when we get to oz. Providing i get my BSc i will be eliigble to go on a graduate entry nursing course which lasts 2 years and will give be registered nurse status. In theory it sounds very appealing, however it would mean i would be going back to fulltime uni and training and i would be 40!!!. I found it strange that Sydney uni do the same graduate entry course resulting in a Master of Nursing qualification. Sounds very grand. So i could have a BSc MN after my name. Where as the other places offering the graduate nursing programme it would be BN. Im going to look more into it. I would still like to get into the alcohol and drug work but it seems i in need expereince before i can do the diploma course.  Which is tricky as ive no expereince at all.

The reason ive been thinking about doing the graduate nurse training is that the enrolled nurse training would still be the same length of time but the same end result..

Late last week i spoke with the back to nurse practice course co ordinator and the next available course i could do is in October which is not good timing as it would be 15 weeks long. If we have a visa almost sorted by then , i dont really want to hang around and do the course.

The only thing that has been stoping me from getting on with applying for registration with vic nursing board is the problem with a professional reference from my last employer. So since im going to be living close enough to where i last worked im going to call in and see the matron and try and sort that problem out. If she will agree to give a basic reference then i will try and register with vic . that will at least enable me to do a return to nurse course while living in oz and may give me more options on how my career should progress.

I am so looking forward to getting to oz and being able to have new challenges and a different type of life.

Staying in the UK permanetly does not appeal , even if i did a return to nurse course in the UK i have been told it would be nigh on impossible for me to get work as an EN. Ive looked into to a nursing course, but i would not get a bursary due to already having a degree(that is if i pass). Long term being in the Uk does not give us the options and the life we want to live.

V realises that the UK can only be temp, our life needs to be in oz. this winter has affected me quite badly, ive not felt warm unless the heating has been on high. ive not being able to breath as the air has been so cold, ive been quite miserable , ive got no energy to go outside. walking the dog leaves me freezing . I will be so glad when this snow has thawed and i can see blue skies and the sun.

Any way its time for a cuppa , ive waffelled on enough  

Onwards and upwards ...

12:08, Sun 18 January 2009 .. Posted by Hutch

All steps in the right direction. :)