1. You think it's a good idea to wait until school is out for you and the kids to move while your husband goes on --- It's Not!!! Kids, especially young ones, will adjust just fine. Hanging out for 5 months without husband/daddy, while planning and preparing for move not as easy.
2. If at all possible, resolve any medical issues (sleepless children) well in advance of moving.
3. Have a good understanding of future employment status in the new country before dropping any benefts!! The reason "We got wrong advice on who would be my employer" does not count as a life changing event that allows you to change your benefits mid-year.
4. As soon as you finally register in your mind that you are truly moving to another country, figure out schools for the kids as soon as possible--- no matter their age!!
5. Everything is taxable to the company and WILL cost more than expected.
6. Know this - it is very hard to sell a house with your spouse in another country. To make it a little easier get a Power of Attorney before he leaves. If you don't then at least plan to get one weeks before it's needed. A PoA requires a notary which other countries (ie UK) do not have. So you have to go to the US Embassy to get something notarized which requires an appointment.
7. Getting an appointment at an Embassy could take 1 - 2 weeks. That's a problem when you need something with the next 7 days.
8. No matter how much warning/thought put into the move someone will drop the ball. The moving company was told that we had big items being moved into a 4th floor apartment that had a small stairwell and even smaller lift. However, after telling them this several times and always being told it won't be a problem, I get an email on the evening before the truck comes telling me it's a problem. We have 3 items (master bed, master dresser and couch) that are too big so the movers have been told not to put them on the truck. WHAT!!
9. Take husband's advice... do not let the moving company's inadequacies force a haste decision on you. Stand firm on telling them the container is not ready no matter how many times they tell you it needs to be on it's way to the ship. (They came up with a solution to get an external lift and move the furniture through the dining room window. However, once they got there they were unable to get the window out so somehow they got everything up the stariwell... glad I wasn't there for that part)
10. Somewhere in all this try not to forget son's 4th birthday!!
11. Make a list of all things husband put in his name only (cable, gas, security system, etc...) because you, as the lowly housewife, will not have any power to turn them off. Send husband list to deal with it!
12. Have all titles to cars put in your name only if you plan to sell them before you leave but after he does.
13. Go with original/first thoughts - they are usually the best ones!
14. When you plan to stop working in April so you have lots of time to prepare for move stick with it. Trying to write a new course during the same time you should be packing and getting ready for movers makes for a lot of stress.
15. Call for backup from GREAT friends before having a "Mommy Dearest" moment!!!
16. Moving companies need an itemized list of things moved AND stored. It would have been nice to know about the storage list before packing 75% of the boxes.
17. Don't wait until the week before vacating your house to call Kidney Foundation/AmVet/Habitat for Humaity to pick up unwanted big furniture. Apparently they need time to organize truck and people to pick things up.
18. If you need to get rid of unwanted big furniture put it on craislist for free. You will have at least 100 emails within 15 minutes. Everyody loves free stuff!!!
19. Prepare yourself for how much you and your kids will miss their home, stuff and most of all friends!!! You always know it will be hard but until day 15 comes of your journey from Charlotte to London (via Alpharetta, Ocilla and Orlando) and your son begs to see Shaggy (aka Will) and your daughter asks when we can visit Isabella (aka BFF) and it hits you that you can't see your own BFFs.. you just can't imagine the saddness that will hit!
That's it for now. I hope all is well with everyone. Thanks for taking this journey with us!!!!
