I'm a bad blogger.

So a lot has changed in the last few months.
We have made the move to Melbourne, found a flat, had all our belongings arrive, both started new jobs, made friends and started planning our life here.
Life here is so much more fulfilling.

The move was scarily easy. We had signed a lease on a flat within a week of arriving and the day after we had the keys all our new furniture was delivered. It is in such a great spot with trams, shops, cafes and bars all round and only 5 minutes walk from the beach.

Da Hubs started his new job and i was madly job hunting. Which meant i accepted a role within 4 weeks of landing in Australia. My boss is Scottish, the team is young, multinational and really good fun.

Our shipped belongings arrived a within 2 months of our arrival which meant we could really settle in. Which was handy cause i was already sick of my limited wardrobe.

We have both made friends with people from our jobs, and through them are meeting more and more people who we are having great fun with. People here are so willing to accept newcomers.

We have bought bikes and joined gyms, found a brilliant little picture house, been to a footy match, visited the zoo and seen some of the many markets around town. The options for eating out are fantastic and we are slowly getting used to the different food in the supermarkets.

We are so happy and settled already. I feel more at home here than I did for the last two years in the UK.

Now I just have to figure out how to do our tax returns and fit in some training for the half marathon i'm entered in. Oh and plan Christmas dinner for next weekend.

28

On Friday we got an email asking us to send over a copy of Da Hubs uni certificate for the Visa application. Sent it within minutes, thank goodness we scanned it before our scanner died. Our agent said it should be a fairly quick decision once the immigration people had it.
It would have been with them for 1st thing their Monday morning, but it is a Public Holiday in Australia. So we did not expect to hear anything until Tuesday.

BUT

We got an email today.
We have our VISAS!!!!!!!

So it is official, we are legally allowed to move to Australia to live for 4 years from today as long as Da Hubs stays working for his new employer.

We will be getting on a plane on Tuesday 6th April, flying to Hong Kong for a stopoff of a couple hours, then onwards to Melbourne. By the end of Wednesday 7th April we will be in a lovely guesthouse/hostel place in central Melbourne.

So all systems go with finalising details and getting organised in time for the move.

Can't believe it is real after all this time.

27

Well the xrays arrived and seem to be fine.
They have just today asked for copies of education certificates, and then our agent chap thinks it could be a very quick decision. Da Hubs sent the certificates off today already, so Aus immigration will have them 1st thing their Monday morning. Fingers Crossed!!!!!

A chap from our preferred shipping company should be at the flat today to give us an accurate estimate. So fingers crossed that is positive for us.

Had a visit to Lisbon to see the inlaws which was much smoother than expected. Just got my parentals next weekend and visiting with our friends in Edinburgh.

We have both handed in our notice at work, and we have had people round to view the flat who seemed really keen. Will feel less guilty if the landlord gets someone in straight away to replace us.

Sent my wedding dress off at long last to be cleaned and boxed up. I have been meaning to do it since June last year. It is very expensive, but hopefully worth it.

Our shiny new laptop arrived from Dell yesterday. It is very pretty, thin and light. I am very happy with my new toy. Think it will become mine eventually, and leave Da Hubs with his HUGE desktop and 2 screens.

Oh I still feel queasy at the thought that we are wrapping up our life here, before we have even got the visa to allow our new life to start. We could suddenly have just a few weeks to find new jobs and a home if the visa is denied. We have spent so much money already, and will have to spend more before we maybe get the visa.

I sooooo hope it all works out.

26

Well I weighed myself at the weekend and got a shock. I am sitting at 11st 12lbs. Quite a lot for a girl who is 5'5".

So on Monday after work I popped down to the local leisure centre and signed up for a 3 month off-peak membership. I know I am leaving the country in 7 weeks, but considering how often I am planning on going along, it works out cheaper. Plus if I know I have paid for it already I am more likely to go and not waste money, instead of telling myself I am saving money if I don't go.

Last night I went along for my wee "induction" session. The nice chap showed me and another new member around the whole gym and explained how to work all the machines. Something that no-one has ever bothered to do before.

The membership allows me use of the gym, the swimming pool, a small selection of classes and the spa type place.

I am hoping I can get off my ass and get down to the gym on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, plus make it to the "Anything Goes" class on Sunday mornings. The class has a different activity each week so will give me a bit of variety.

The only problem is that during the week I can only go in before 4pm. Which means I will be up super early to be at the gym for 6.30am! I can then do a 45 minute workout, get cleaned up and off to the station to catch my train at 7.54am.

Just got to figure out the best way to split up my aerobic and weights programme, that I used to follow, to fit in the shorter time periods at the gym.

How much weight do you think I can lose before we go? And how many inches can I lose from my measurements?




btw: no word on the visa application, think DH's xrays would only be arriving around now so hopefully we will see some progress next week.

25

Well Da Hubs aced the 3rd interview, the company referenced him over the Christmas period and he was offered the job in January. They would like him to start work on 20th April, but that depends on us receiving our visas in time.

We submitted our visa application on 31st January, and now it is just a waiting game.

So far we have been looking at shipping companies, handed in our notice on our current flat, booked our flights for 6th April, booked trips to visit our parents in Lisbon and Scotland, told my boss that we are leaving (depending on visas) and started researching areas of Melbourne to see where we would like to live.

There are a ton of things we need to do before we go and once we arrive.

-Get references from my past employers and University, our previous landlords and our banks.
-Book shippers and clear out our belongings so we only take what is important.
-Open bank accounts in Australia online
-Organise files from doctors, opticians etc for taking over.
-Organise accommodation for when we first arrive
-Sort out tax forms
-Change address on EVERYTHING to my Father’s address
-Organise a mail redirection
-Back up computer files and have scans of documents in portable formats
-Buy a new laptop

And that’s just to start with.

I suspect this will turn into an emigration blog for the next 6 months so I can record all the goings on.

On a lighter note, my trip to Scotland means I can get my hair cut at my usual salon. Which will be the first time since a few days before the wedding in May. That’s 10 months people! My roots are showing down to my cheekbones. The length is currently down to my bra strap, and I want a chin length bob.
I have just never found a salon I trust in the last 2 years 4 months we have been living here, and I was taking regular trips to Scotland for the wedding planning for the first year and a bit.

24

Okay so I am kind of nervous and kind of excited.

Da Hubs has a 3rd stage interview for a new job next week - in Australia!
This is the final stage and if he gets the offer the company will sponsor him for a visa which makes it easier.

So just got to wait and see how it goes, but in the meantime we have to try and find out as much as possible about how to get organised in life over there just in case.
I think if he is offered the job it will all happen very fast, and there is sooooo much to think about. Getting the visa processed and approved, flights, packing our entire life, leaving behind all our family and friends, deciding what to actually take with us, sorting out somewhere to live once we get there, health insurance, tax rules, pension stuff. It is all very confusing.

I feel a bit like life is on hold at the moment. For example we want to buy a food processor/blender this weekend, but should we bother, or should we wait until we find out if we are moving over 10,000 miles away?

I am really not happy at work and desperately want to leave, but don't see the point in applying for jobs if we could be moving in a few months.

If he gets the job I will be delighted to get a fresh start because:
-I do not enjoy my job.
-We have no friends where we live
-We have no social life
-I have no money to go do anything eg shopping, gym, join clubs
-Our health has been terrible for the last few months, i think because we are both stagnating
-I can feel myself drifting towards depression again, because of all of the above.

I am scared that I am getting too excited about this potential change, and pinning all my hopes for an improved life on it. I need to be able to improve my life where I am and by myself. I cannot rely on Da Hubs to fix what I am not happy with, cause I am soooo happy with him and he does not need that pressure. He is the one thing in my life right now that I am happy and settled about. He is the one thing I do not want to change.

23

Yay! one of my former roomies just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy today! It's her second.
She was told years ago that it would be very difficult if not impossible for her to get pregnant, so I am especially pleased that she and her husband have been able to have their much wanted family.
Lots of positive thoughts for little Brodie so he may have a happy and healthy life.