Ready, Set...GO, GO, GO!

Today is September 19th, 18 days since my last post, and so much has happened. Where to begin...

Let's start with the first week of September. We had a phone conversation with the Spanish Consulate office staff as they returned to work on the 5th, right after Labor Day. With the Houston area recovering, many businesses and schools were out for almost two weeks.

Thank goodness many people were able to attend to the disaster in Houston and help those who are rebuilding after the hurricane.

During the phone conversation with the notary, we were able to share our difficulty in finding a certified translator to appear with us for the Power of Attorney. The Power of Attorney document is required for the Spanish Government to ensure I can act on Nick's behalf during our stay since his dad will not be traveling with us.

Since we didn't have a translator in time for our appointment on the 7th, we were told there was no need for us to go to Houston at that time. The notary said she would call us back in a couple days.

Some Good News

Waiting for a call back was good news for us, especially since some panicky Austinites created a gas shortage just days before our phone conversation. We were worried we wouldn't be able to find gas on the way to Houston.

We waited to hear back from the notary. Thursday went by, Friday went by, then the weekend. By Monday we were concerned.

But the next day brought us good news! We were told we could use a different type of translator. I was happy and then tired. John was assigned to the case. This was a good move because by that day, I was so exhausted and stressed about not being able to make our September 15th travel date.

I had been driving the translator process up until that time. And after the long month of August, I pulled myself out of the project's critical path because I couldn't imagine going through the process again. I have the best husband ever.

When to Let Go

Looking back, it was a good idea for me to let go of managing the translators. And as I look back, I was tired because Nick had started school the week before. I had been helping him get settled online with the new structure of his school and it took more out of me then I realized.

As Nick started his school year, moving online definitely provided a steep learning curve for both of us. I am his assigned learning coach this year which means I have to learn the system and my role along with him. For example, I am responsible for verifying and entering his attendance every day. Any technical issue he has is mine to solve, too. It was a lot to take in and we were both pretty exhausted by the end of each day.

For the next round of translators, John's energy was more appropriate and he has done a really great job! By last Friday, September 15th, we had a plan.

And good news came again this week. Yesterday we confirmed we have an appointment at the Consulate on the 28th to sign the Power of Attorney. With all three visas approved now, and this final document signed, we'll be able to go.

Decision Time!

News of our appointment makes for some serious reality checks about what items we have left to sell and store. I've never left my home for such a long while without at least some of my furniture and personal items in tow.

Deciding when and how to get things sold and moved is quite a challenge at times. We rented the smallest storage unit we could to minimize cost and help us store only what is most important to us.

As of this afternoon, we've sold a few items on Craigslist, (Boo, scammers who tried to scam us!), and we've stored two small loads of boxes. We've also made 2 trips to Goodwill. Today I'll be working on closets and getting items organized for another trip to storage. Other items will be featured in our upcoming garage sale on Saturday.

The move definitely became real when John sent me an itinerary for a flight from Austin to Barcelona last night. "Okay, we are really doing this." I thought to myself. It seemed surreal. After waiting through a long and slow month of August, things seem to be going very fast now.

Isn't that how it goes?

The Calm Before the Storm

It seems every project has a calm point before the storm. To finish this next leg of work is all about keeping our wits about us. There is so much to do before one leaves the country, too.

There are legal documents to put in place, adding people to accounts, power of attorney documents to be had for certain financial situations, etc.

Like I said, I've never done this before, so at times my mind "zings out". It has no idea what to do or how to plan for a big move like this. And most people I know who live in other countries haven't made their footprint this small. Many of them have small places in both locations, so this is all new for us.

Our mantra these days is "Present moment, one day at a time." Speaking of which, it feels like it is time for me to get back to work. Lunch time for Nick, too. With his coursework being done online, I am responsible for lunch break. He says cafeteria food is way better this year. LOL

Funny kid. I'll write more as the days progress. Right now we've got a plan and while I appreciate all I've learned over the past two months, I'm glad to be in the flow again.