the big move

so, we've been in georgia for 2 months now, and have been overwhelmed working our way through our never ending to-do list. if you can imagine getting rid of your house, car, cell phone and all other belongings with the exception of 2 suitcases worth of clothes, plus you move to another country......oh, and you lost your wallet with all your ID. that is how i've felt. our belongings are in storage until we move into our new house.....we did not get rid of them, but we don't have them in our possession none the less. aquiring all our necessary ID has been the most frustrating b/c unlike a SIN, a social security number is required for EVERYTHING! everything including getting a cell phone, cable tv and a drivers licence. which is why i don't have any of these items. j and i were surprised to learn that we couldn't buy a car w/o a georgia drivers licence....and we couldn't get a drivers licence w/o a social security. we were also surprised to learn that a written test and road test is req'd to get a drivers licence, as a canadian drivers licence doesn't count for much. we now have a car, thank you j! as for my social security and drivers licence, i need to do some more paper work, take my drivers test, cross my fingers and hope for the best....maybe be wpg winters weren't so bad;)

unfortunately it was last winter's unseasonably cold temps that sealed the deal on our decision to move. i was cooped up with my sleepless, needed to be held baby girl with only my mom groups and walks at the mall to keep me going. all the bundling and unbundling req'd just to run to the drug store was too much for me. when j came home with the job opportunity to transfer to georgia, i jumped on it! had i known the move would be so hard, i may have thought twice, but i never living anywhere else before, i was clueless. of course the hardest part of the move hasn't been getting a social security number, it has definitely been being away from friends and family. facebook definitely helps fill the gap, but it doesn't come close to having people near by.

j and i are now homeowners, once again. we took possession of our new house a few days ago after looking at MANY houses. j has already taken a sledge hammer to an interior wall...not too different from our first house where the carpet and some plaster was ripped down within 2 days. just some minor changes to be made prior to moving in later this month:)

it is quite chilly here today. i heard the radio annoucer recommend keeping a tap running, so your pipes don't freeze and to keep you cats and dogs indoors b/c they can't survive in these temps. we must have different cats and dogs in canada! haha!!

pre-trip anxieties

one more week til i go to europe! i can't say that i'm excited but once i'm there i'll love it. i am definately a home body and the thought of travelling always makes me anxious in goods ways and bad. i am a horrible over-packer, and with taking sloane, it is bound to be so much worse. in past attempts to pack less, i have shorted myself necessary items such as pants and been forced to make a trip to the mall to buy a few pairs.

the thought of being jet-legged with a teething, 6-month old baby has me concerned, but if i think about it, i am able to function surprising well on little sleep. the 8 hour flight i am less concerned about, as i am very used to holding sloane for most of the day....the restrictions of the airplane shouldn't cause any problems, i hope. and of course, the first class seats make EVERYTHING easier. i can probably even change a diaper in my foot space if i'm discreet.

if there's one thing i am excited about, it's escaping winnipeg weather for 2 weeks! man is it cold here, and winter has not yet officially begun. i'll take a grey, rainy day in england over this anyday. i'm not sure what the weather is like in germany, but its gotta be better than this. sloane cries when i bundle her all up and take her outside, and i tell her that she was unfortunately born in winnipeg and she is going to have to learn to accept winter. not that i have anything against winnipeg, but it must be very confusing for babies to be exposed to these frigid temperatures. i am constantly loving and protecting her, then to thrust her outside on a chilly day must seem so cruel.

well, it took me til the age of 29 to make it to europe, and sloane is heading there at the age of 6 months! her first passport stamps...i hope she has a good time.