The Messy Details

I've lived overseas several times before this, and I've loved all of those amazing experiences. Each one has been radically different, and this experience is no exception. Two of the biggest differences with the move to Indonesia was moving overseas as a family, and moving overseas with so many belongings. Every other time I've "moved", it's just been me - simply me and the 2 suitcases and 1 carry-on luggage + purse allowed. So it was a huge jump to go from 1 adult to 2 adults and 2 kids, and from airplane luggage to cargo container!

For my own selfish reasons (tools to de-stress) and hoping you may be interested in knowing just what craziness is in store for us over the next 5 months, I'm going to share with you my to-do list. :)

-Research Chapel Hill neighborhoods and schools
-Look at houses online (this I admit is a joy - I happily spend hours at this!)
-Make plane and hotel reservations for our 3 final trips in Asia (also obviously fun but a lot of work)
-Contact a realtor, get pre-approval for a mortgage, etc.
-Research type of car to buy
-Research, decide on and sign the boys up for summer camp
-Research, decide on and sign LC up for pre-school
-Make plane, hotel, and rental car reservations for house hunting trip
-Get power of attorney for friend in Jakarta while we're away on house hunting trip
-Travel to CH on house hunting trip
-Look at dozens of houses and buy a house!
-Find out what our shipment allowance is
-Moving company to house to provide estimate
-Do an inventory of our house belongings with photos
-Decide what we will sell here and for how much
-Sell said belongings
-Sell our car here, transfer title
-Get a few final pieces of furniture made here
-Reserve a serviced apartment for the weeks in Chapel Hill while we wait for our shipment to arrive
-Make plane reservations for move back home
-Research and complete documents for moving cat home with us
-Get medical, dental and vet records
-Get school records from JIS and TT
-Print photos and get framed
-Make photo albums
-Write recommendation letters and find staff new jobs
-Decide summer trip plans and make US internal plane reservations (haven't seen the parents, aka grandparents for 1 year!)

Oh my god this list is making me ill...but it continues.

-Organize our going away party
-Cancel cable, utilities, final lease inspection or whatever, etc.
-Make a hotel reservation for last few nights in Jakarta while house is packed up
-Make car rental reservation for first few days in CH
-Cancel car insurance
-Sign up for health insurance for US
-Cancel gym membership
-Cancel J's cell phone
-Get exit-only permit to leave the country
-Decide what luggage we will carry on the plane home (what we will need with us for next 6 weeks)
-Packers come to house for 3 days - chaos!
-Final haircut, pedi and mani, massage and facial (but of course!)
-Say goodbye to our friends and wonderful staff (NOT looking forward to that one!)
-35 hours getting home - 2 adults, 2 kids and 1 cat
-exhausted and bleary eyed, arrival at RDU (oh my god!), pick up rental car and go to temporary lodgings
-Buy a car
-Close on house
-Register C for school
-What needs to be done to the house? I don't know yet, but I'm sure there will be something - organize it!
-Ah, sign up for cell phone plan
-Set up utilities, cable, internet, etc. for new house
-Kids and I go visit the grandparents
-Return to CH, packers come and unload the boxes
-Kids spend days in summer camp and I unpack the boxes in our new home!
-Kids start school and we begin a whole new chapter!

Whew, I feel like I just ran a marathon in my brain. Maybe I shouldn't have just written this all out, it's making me even MORE STRESSED! Whew, take deep breaths, take deep breaths, it will all work out...

Anyone need a stiff drink??