Saying Goodbye

I can't believe it's time to say goodbye... for now. We will be leaving in just a few days and there are so many things to do between now and then! They say December will be here before you know it and to embrace this excellent opportunity. I'm thankful for modern technology and the internet that can keep us connected. Hopefully we will have easy access to the internet over there.

Packing

We spent the long weekend trying to determine what to pack. Here is where our styles differ quite a bit. I'm always rushing at the last minute, versus have everything packed and ready to go a week in advance :-) I think we finally have all the electronics software downloaded to the laptop. Someone asked me... What do you think you will miss the most (other than friends/family)? Hard to say... maybe Tillamook Cheese or milk? Water from our home faucet? Easy access to the Internet? I'm sure I will let you know when I figure out the answer. What to pack? A little bit of laundry detergent? Dish soap? Spices? A flashlight? Tylenol? Pepto Bismol? Clothes for warm weather? They say it can get up to 124 degrees in the summer time! Yikes! I have been assured that it won't be that hot on the coast. Maybe I will be staying inside with the AC reading a book.

Making Contacts

Good news! We think we have secured an apartment! Although it is hard to say for sure :-) I spoke with the current tenants who are also ex-pats that will be leaving this week to come home to the US. The wife shared a ton of information and made me feel good about where we are going. She said she would leave maps and contact info of all the places that she went frequently. Another gal is in a city south of where we will be, but has offered lots of great information as well.

We had dinner with some friends this weekend (and their friends who have lived in Israel). We had such a wonderful time with them. They tried to give us as much info on culture, places to go, and things to see. I think they will be a great resource for us when we are there. They stopped by a local store and brought some of their favorite snacks to share. One bag was filled with something similar to a cheese puff but it was peanut butter flavored. Hmmmm. Ken liked it a lot. They also shared some chocolate. Yum!

Decisions....

I had to finalize my decision on what my plans are for this adventure and turned in my resignation at work this week :-( I will miss the group I work with, but feel like it is the right decision.

Things are moving quickly and we have a departure date of June 3rd! We are making lists of all the things that need to get done before we go. We are so thankful that my old roommate is available to house sit for us. We still haven't confirmed our living situation over there and suspect we will stay in a hotel for the first couple of days. What do you pack for a six month adventure like this? We have a list of potential items furnished in the apartment we will be renting. I hear we should expect extremly hot weather from June to September.

I found out today that there are other ex-pats in the area and one wife sent me an email today hoping to have coffee this weekend :-) Maybe in two weeks? June 3rd is approaching quickly!

It's OFFICIAL!

We have recieved the "approved" email from the consulate and an invitation to come to San Fransicso with all the required documents for final processing! YIKES! We also have plane tickets for June 3rd. Wow that seems close! Still waiting for final word on housing. Still hoping for the #1 pick. I'm sure it will all work out. It seems like there is so much to do in two short weeks. We are excited and anxious for this new adventure.

Do you think they will have Peanut Butter there? (Ken's favorite meal)

A quick visit

Ken has made it safely home from his trip to Israel. He is very tired and trying to get back on the Pacific coast time zone. He looked at quite a few potential places to stay. He submitted his top 3 picks and 2 of them have already been rented :-( Hopefully the number 1 pick will work out.

He said it was beautiful there. Nice and warm (not too hot...yet). The people were very friendly and helpful. The craziest thing he did was drive. Sometimes he felt like he was playing "chicken" in the roundabouts. Sounds like an adventure. The food was good too. His McDonalds cheeseburger cost close to $10.00 though.

Waiting for the Visa now...