KPMG covers two weeks of temporary housing for us.  We are on the 20th floor of an apartment building in the business district of London, Canary Wharf.  It’s surrounded by the Thames and our views are amazing.  Simon has only thrown two items over the patio wall, and fortunately one was a piece of paper that blew back onto the patio wall. 

I feel like a circus taking the kids anywhere with me.  No one around here has kids with them, and if they do it’s just an infant or toddler in a “pushchair.”  But to be honest, no one really notices us, everyone seems to be pretty preoccupied on their phones or just going about their business.  I’ve never seen so many people in one place, especially with suits on.  (Says the girl who has lived in Kuna, Idaho for the last eight years.)  There is a bridge we can see from our window that crosses the river and there are always dozens of people walking across it. 

Our apartment is split over three levels, and I’m used to the uppermost level being the warmest, but when you are on the 20th floor of a building the difference in temperature between levels is pretty inconsequential.  There is no AC here, and although we haven’t really needed it, it’s hard to sleep with the windows open because the trains that come through nearby can be quite loud.  

“Sometimes I just feel lonely.” 

I’m sure lonely was the best word he could come up with to describe being homesick.  He probably longs for his bed, our house, all things familiar.  My heart went out to him.  I was actually telling my mom that he was the one who seemed to be coping with all the change the best, but it’s possible (or rather, likely) that he just internalizes things so much.  
Richard uses the word “cerebral” to describe Eli.  

The kids are doing better than I expected, but they also are all showing some manifestations of the upheaval they must be feeling.   All things considered I feel grateful for their adaptability and enthusiasm.   And I’m certainly open to any suggestions for ways to help them feel secure and comfortable.  I’m sure getting settled into a house and having our belongings arrive will do good.  

We packed up the last of our stuff, dressed the kids in their matching neon shirts and we made it to the airport two hours before departure.  Which was good because four of our six checked bags were too heavy and we had to do a lot of shifting of belongings. We didn’t have to leave anything behind except a few bags of extra bathroom essentials.  I would have been really embarrassed by having my personal belongings unpacked and repacked in front of a long line of travelers but I was too stressed to care.

We got everything squared away, said our final goodbyes to my mom and Richard’s dad (who have been our personal assistants these last few weeks, the thankless job of a parent) and went through security with no conflict.

We had some time to spare so we ate breakfast (which turned out to be our only meal until 10:30 at night) and watched planes take off.

Our first flight was quick and exciting for the kids. But we landed with just enough time to shuttle around the Seattle airport and get to our next gate just in time for boarding.  Delta gate checked our carry on bags with no charge which was a huge blessing with all four kids in tow.  They also had already switched seat assignments so we could all sit together. The flight from Seattle to NYC went well thanks to in-flight entertainment at each seat.  At one point Simon was sleepy and a little restless and he asked if we could just go home.  As if riding an airplane was something we were just doing recreationally.

JFK airport was a repeat of Seattle airport but with less luggage thankfully.  With such short layovers we felt so blessed that none of our flights were delayed.  But our luck ran out when we boarded our flight to London and due to various issues we sat on the Tarmac for two hours.  Once we reached our cruising altitude of 10,000 feet they served dinner, but I had given the kids melatonin before take-off and they were all asleep (except Mim) before they could eat.

The kids were troopers. Simon had his moments of just a general unsettled feeling of confusion and restlessness but they all slept most of the flight to London.  They never complained about anything and they carried their bags and no one wet their pants. Now I call that a success.

It was so strange because the sun was setting as we boarded in NY but it was only a couple hours later as we crossed the Atlantic that the sun started to come up. Talk about a short night.  After we landed we made our way wearily through the border authority with no issue except Eli’s fingerprints not matching, but they let us through anyway.

The luggage porter who helped us with our bazillion suitcases was so kind as were the two gentlemen sent by the relocation agency to pick us up.  They must have been waiting forever because our flight was so delayed and customs took so long.  The driver was trying to point out famous landmarks on our way to our apartment but all of us could barely keep our eyelids up.  We made it to our temporary apartment and the kids and I napped while Richard set up a bank account and bought some groceries.

There are so many little things to get used to, like cooking a frozen pizza in a Celsius oven and just figuring out how to open the windows and run the shower.  I don’t know if some of these things are strictly British or if I’ve just lived a generally sheltered life. Probably both.

The view from our apartment is amazing. I really can’t believe I’m here.  Although I feel overwhelmed and intimidated by all the things ahead of me, I just feel so grateful for everything that worked out for us and for all the people who have helped us get here.

**P.S. I am new to Weebly and still trying to figure out formatting issues.  

It was nearly eight months ago when we first started talking about London, and I remember one night telling Richard

“I’m letting my hopes go sky high.  I know they might come crashing down, and the disappointment might be more severe, but for tonight, I’m dreaming big.” 

For months my excitement never waned.  

Then in the last month I’ve faced some feelings that even my excitement couldn’t be an antidote for.  Sadness, stress and general feelings of nervousness and being overwhelmed weighed heavy on me.  Going through all the motions of closing a life was hard.  One of Richard’s future coworkers had warned us it would be excruciating. 

And now here I sit, having trudged through the swamp of cancelling, arranging, packing and departing, full of excitement again. I’m glad to have it back, I’ll need some adrenaline to get through the next few hours, days and weeks.  

Cheers!

When I told one of my friends that we were moving to London, and I knew it was going to be stressful, she said “What can be so hard about it? You pack up your stuff and go!”

Here’s just a taste of what keeps me awake at night.  Stream of consciousness style. 

I need to get passport pictures taken. Then they have to be retaken because kids aren’t allowed to smile. Then we need to go to the passport office.  But appointments are required now.  And we can’t get in for three weeks.  But Caldwell takes walk-ins. So we drive to Caldwell.  Passports done.  But now we find out we need Visa photos. So we have to go back to Walgreens. For the third time.   We also need to do Biometrics.  And well child exams.  And immunizations, or “inoculations” if you’re British.  And we need lab work for Simon so we can have a follow-up with the allergist and Eli needs an eye exam… Not to mention my own yearly you know what…

Then our cars were crashed into and will require six days in the shop… no biggie. 

And there are our belongings.  Ship, store or sell.  Yard sale, trip to Utah to deliver our shipped belongings to a warehouse in SLC.  And a storage unit… research, reserve, deposit, fill.  And suitcases.  We are each allowed two checked bags, one carry on, and a personal item.  That makes a total of 18 suitcases, and six personal items.  Is that even possible? How can we fit those into one car to get to the airport, manage them AT the airport, retrieve them upon arrival and fit them in a taxi or rental car in London?  

Then there is the house.  Sell or rent? Rent.  Paint rooms, fix up some landscaping, clean clean clean.  Patch holes in the walls, repair sprinkler heads.  Find a property manager, research, contact, contract.  List the house.  Keep it clean so people can come see it. 

Goodbyes.  Goodbye parties. Trips to visit siblings in distant states.  Lunches, dinners, farewells, Lots of crying. 

Where are we gonna live?  A city of 8 million people.  Research neighborhoods and boroughs.  Read through listings, wait a week or two and scour the listings again.  Email friends of friends for info.  

Cancel an entire life here.  Auto insurance, home owners insurance.  Close bank accounts, open bank accounts.   Internet, mail,  electrical, cell phones.  OHHHHHH CELL PHONES!  Make phone calls about cell phone plans abroad, ask questions and more questions.  What will we do if we cancel both our cell phone plans, and then land in a new country with no cell phone?  Learn about Skype, Voxer and SIM cards.  

Buy everything that I think I need and won’t have an easy time acquiring when we’re there.  

I know it sounds like I’m complaining.   I am a little bit.  In the beginning when Richard was talking to Anthony, he warned us that it would be… “excruciating” was the word he used.  I had no idea.  But fortunately I have the thrill and excitement of our upcoming adventure to carry me through.  And really supportive friends and family.  

Richard received and accepted his official offer last week. He has been assigned a Global Mobility Professional (GMP) – who coincidentally is also named “Jo”- from the host country (UK) to coordinate all the necessary arrangements. We are embarking on a journey of new acronyms and vocabulary and endless PDFs of policies, procedures and protocols. Checklists that cover everything from writing a will to safety briefings. The kind of lists that can make me feel paranoid and overwhelmed.

And although I do feel those things, nothing has trumped my excitement. Ask again in a month or two…

Hi Richard,

Ray has sent me your resume and gave me a brief rundown of your circumstances and potential desire to travel to London and experience life across the Atlantic. I’ve done a few secondments between US and London and can give you some idea of what to expect.

This email is just to let you know we are looking at your resume, and it would be great to catch up with you early next week if that works for you. Let me know if you have any conflicts and we can set up a call to discuss your potential secondment further.

Kind regards
Anthony

 

After a couple years with KPMG we realized selling the house wasn’t an option.  grad school wasn’t tugging at Richard’s heart strings anymore, but the traveling with KPMG was killing us.  The economy had begun a downturn and there weren’t a lot of options, so Richard threw out a carrot on the end of a string, tied to a stick.   And ever since I’ve devotedly hopped along behind it.  

On that highway across the Snake River plain he told me about international rotations.   Two years in another country,  sponsored by KPMG.  My eyes grew big and I may have been drooling.   We talked, I fantasized, we dreamed, my heart raced.  For years I have kept my eye on that prize.  Through busy season after busy season, I dreamed of years abroad.  

I would bring it up now and then.  He would postpone.  It never “felt right” to him.  To me that just meant that he lacked the courage, or he was procrastinating.  I started to lose hope.  I doubted if he really intended to look into it at all.  

But then, last fall, an idea came along.  An opportunity.  And it finally “felt right.”