Lazzza

stating that my husband's L1A petition has been approved. So that must mean it is London next? We're both dumbstruck.

Bloody hell! I am not going to sleep tonight, so I will just have to watch Glee which I have recorded on Skyplus (at least we'll have Glee in the US but not Skyplus I guess!)

I think I need to go and have a proper cup of tea!

lisa67

congrats!!

ChocolateBabz

Well done quine - we'll see you o'er here soon

Englishtart

Good news Lazza take a few breaths and then start the next part of your journey

Undefeckable

Congrats. Now's a good time to start programming yourself to taaalk slooower and using words like Trash, Highway, laundry, zucchini etc.

mellybrown

Congrats - where will you be moving to?

Ray

Oh God !!! More bleedin Scotch

ChocolateBabz

She's coming to Houston - the hottest, happiest not¹ shit place on earth




¹as confirmed by this very official poll http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...hlight=houston

Lazzza

ok, so had a cup of tea, didn't sleep and now in the office in a state of....not panic...kind of disbelief?

I read other posts about leading almost a double life. No-one knows about this move and I am finding it harder and harder to keep quiet. I feel like such a liar.

It will be a huge relief to tell everyone, which should hopefully be next week.

We are moving to Cinco Ranch, Katy (Houston) which is super suburbia on a really major scale.

I read "An interview with Texas Dave last night". I liked the end bit where he said "you're a long time dead". This is my philosophy. If you don't try it, you'll never know.

And I don't want the US to be like home. If I did, I'd stay here!

Poor old hubby is stressing more than me, which is very strange. I am sure that I will have a complete nervous breakdown at some point though.

penguinsix

It's rough and crazy and fun all at the same time. I'm actually in the middle of a move to Hong Kong in a few weeks (with family) and we're a bit too lackadaisical at the moment. Hasn't really phased us despite moving company surveyors pounding through the house.

My general advice at this point is to start writing. Compose the biggest list of things you can think to do before you leave, everything from 'turn off the electricity' to 'sell the cats' to 'take a ride on the London Eye'. And leave plenty of room to add things on as things come up (as they will).

It takes a bit of planning to make a move go off without much of a hitch, so getting a good list down of things helps you not only plan but also prevents you from forgetting something important.

One of the first things I would get to sorting is health care. Do you have any medical records you need, such as a history of some illness you are being treated for? Getting a copy of these might be very important when you get to the USA, and worth pulling together now (as it can take your GP a bit of time to sort out). You might also want to get a list of any medications you are taking, and possibly a list of any vaccinations you've had lately, getting a booster on somethings (tetanus is a good one) where it doesn't cost as much (NHS).

Congrats on the move.

tonrob

Yay! My Houston poll!! I never did get any curry out of it...

Lazzza

Thanks for the tip. You have mentioned this good advice to others and I have followed this. I have my "magic (A4 size - good old metric) pad" where I just list things I think about.

To be fair, we are fairly organised. Even the attic is sorted. I like to know what I am doing!

I hope to be finished in the office at least 6 weeks before we go, so I can really get organised. Hubby will be leaving immediately after the London interview, if he in fact gets the visa that is. So that could well be next month. I cannot leave until after 4th June, which is the date of my eldest daugter's last high school exam.

I am planning a week trip at Easter with all 4 kids to visit hubby, so they can see what will be their new home. The 2 older kids have never been in Houston. Of course the oldest is staying behind at uni in Scotland, so it will be hard to leave him. He is already 4 hours away from home. I just think that he will be 10 hours away instead. That makes me feel a bit better. And the uni holidays are long, so he will come out for extended breaks.

Jeepers, it is really happening. It has not felt real until now, although we have known about this for months.

Thanks for the tip re the GP by the way. My hubby is type 1 diabetic, so his records will be a must! I will add the the (very long) list.

ChocolateBabz

Shame you are not over here, we have sprout curry every other Tuesday !

Hey Lazzza, if you have time at Easter for another meet-up - count me in this time And we will get the weather sorted for you this time !

Lazzza

ok that would be great! Not sure if we are realistically going to have time to fit in a trip at Easter. And this would be right before the school exams start. So I'll keep you posted! Anyway, I should arrive on 10th June, which is provisional date I have on to move across.

I can't wait. I am sitting in the kitchen looking outside. It's snowing again and the sky is grey.

But I am away to make butcher sausage sandwiches........going to have these every weekend from now until June!!!!

tonrob

Reviewing air fares as we speak.