I only had about 3 weeks between getting my K1 approved and flying over. I basically just had an open house weekend with all my different gorups of friends and family dropping in to say goodbye, eat and pick over my belongings!

Lx

Please, give him time!

We had a leaving party which was originally planned for 3 weeks before we left (that way, we wouldn't have to actually say "goodbye" as we'd have seen half the people again before we left) but my hubby realised the week before that he in fact needed to be in the States over that weekend (you can imagine how well I took that news). So we had to postpone it at the last minute and instead had it 2 days before we left. We hired a room in a pub (again) and 80% of our friends could make the new date and even though I was dreading it as by then i had no choice but to say goodbye and I thought it would be very depressing, it was actually really fun. It was so nice to hang out and spend the night drinking and chatting with some of my oldest and closest friends. My friends presented me with an amazing "memory book" filled with fantastic photos from over the years and amazing messages. I didn't read it until I was settled here and the kids started school and it really cheered me up.

Just enjoy your "do" - it's a fun send off and a great opportunity to have all your friends in the same place at the same time. Take lots of pictures and relax. I talk to all my friends on a regular basis so it wasn't really goodbye at all!

That's pretty much what I'm expecting. We was going to do it a few weeks before but it was impossible with so much else going on on this final phase.
We have a great social structure so expect like you we will spend plenty of time on Skype etc catching up with friends and family. We have decided on a pub garden for our venue afternoon onwards, so that those with children can make it as well.

Obviously your life is pretty well sorted!

I didn't have one. I was only temping at the time of my move, so I finished work two weeks before leaving and a few of us all just had lunch together that day, then they bought me some beer and a card.

I did a round of goodbye visits to various relatives well in advance of leaving so that took care of that, then the Saturday before I left, a bunch of my mates and I went and pissed it up in Belfast, then got stranded unable to get a taxi home because there were riots going on that weekend. So that was fun ...

Yes it is thanks, luckily we have LOTS of friends whom we care about. We have a busy social life and don't spend every waking hour of our day on BE

Wait till you move here...

I would never have thought I'd end up with these losers

I didn't tell anyone I was leaving.

It's the party that your friends had after you left.

Have they noticed?

My husband went to get a security card for his new job with previous employer in the UK, after going through the process, the person said, "Oh, your old one was still active anyway."

A couple of pints with a few mates a week before hand is more than enough...