Nuts and Bolts - Lara

I want to let everyone out there know the nuts and bolts of our preparation for the trip. We have spent most of May separating, sorting, and selling stuff. This has been in an attempt to raise the $13,000 we need in a savings account for our student visas. This does not include air fare, fees, deposit on our flat, or any transition time, but after we have our visas, we can use some of the money for that (assuming it isn't a loan). So far we have less than a fifth of that raised. We are going to borrow the rest from a couple who will charge us no interest so we can get the visas. Then, we plan on giving the money right back. We are hoping to raise the rest of what we need soon so that we can pay them back early.

We had a garage sale this last Saturday (5/23), and sold a lot, including much of the furniture we were trying to get rid of. We have practically moved into our master bedroom, because that is where most of the furniture we kept is left. We are going to try to sell our car and the borrow my father's truck until September, but that won't bring us any cash. We owe too much still, but perhaps we can save the payments we had been making. We are also talking to a realtor about either renting our house out or selling it. Either way we are going to need an agent to deal with it.

I have also been working on finding a graphic design job with some sort of publisher in Edinburgh. I have spent time researching companies and preparing my resume, or what they call a CV. I do have my resume on monster.uk, and I am searching for some hiring agencies as well. I would really like to get a good paying job near to where Kerry is attending school. So many marriages suffer during a doctoral program because of the hardship in balancing time. My work and his research need to be as much at the same time as possible so that we can spend time together. If I have to commute far, then that will take up potential time. I expect Kerry's schedule to be very sporadic and full, so we will have to be attentive to our spare time.

We will not be buying a car in Edinburgh since everything we have read talks of how the city is easy to walk around. Also the UK is known for its great mass transit systems: inexpensive buses and trains. We also understand that flights to continental Europe are relatively cheap and offer a great holiday option.

We have also completed the application for housing with the University and are waiting to see what the may offer. As I understand, the apartments (what they call flats) are often very small and usually furnished in the UK. This will minimize what we need to bring. At first we are considering just bringing what we can carry on the plane and shipping Kerry's computer. After Athena has been through her six month "quarantine" at my parents' house (required by the UK), we will be bringing her as well. This has also been a consideration in finding housing.

As we have been considering issues about our life there, we wondered about things such as international phone calls. We were advised to look at "Skype" as an option. We have also wondered about tax laws (income tax, council tax, TV tax), local churches, community events, festivals, and trying to create contacts and friendships there before we go. Pretty much everything is about research right now. We have even looked at some guide books and maps to get a clearer picture, but they have not helped as much as people we have talked to and resources on the Internet. Most guide books don't tell you much about day-to-day life.

It may seem like we have done a lot, but there is still much to do. We have not gone through the visa application process yet, which will require a visit to their office in Dallas to get biometric information and passport sized photos. We need to figure out how much luggage we can take, acquire it, and figure out what will fit. Kerry is continuing to prepare for the actual degree and matriculation process. We need to finalize both housing and job situations. We need to buy plane tickets, sell the cats, get the dog micro-chipped and blood tested, put stuff in storage or give to family members, and then hop on a plane and go to Scotland.

So are you overwhelmed yet? We have been, especially with all the other distractions and worries of this month. I had not thought about how life-altering this kind of move is, but I would still have it no other way. So post any advice or suggestions, we can use it. Thanks.