Getting ready update

The blog has been getting a lot of hits after sending the link to family and friends, and someone suggested an update.  This will be short.

I found some great photos on google maps, but haven't quite figured out how to make a slideshow. Meanwhile, I played with a few of the photos in flickr and was able to make my own map so click on the “Frejus photo map” above.  I look forward to taking and posting my own pictures.

We sold our van last Friday!  Now we just need to get our house rented and emptied into a locker (which will happen 1 week from today).  Irie has 1 week of school left, and I have 1 week of teaching.  Lisa works until June 12. The countdown has begun.

Until next time...

Getting ready to go

We are now 29 day from departure and I’m trying to be zen about the chaos that is our lives at this moment.  The house is a tornado of boxes and stuff everywhere as we prepare to move everything into a locker.  What goes in the locker? What goes to France? What gets sold in the yard sale? What gets donated or thrown away?  The house is not yet rented, the van is not yet sold, and we do not know how we are getting first to MI, then Baltimore, and finally NY for our departure on the Queen Mary 2 on July 8.  

At least everything in Europe is set, and we have our visas, health insurance, and a bank account!  After we arrive in Southampton, England, we are flying via Flybe to Rennes, France on July 15.  We have a car rented and will be staying for a week in Granville on the Normandy coast.  On July 22 we are taking the train to Paris and will be staying on the rue de la Colonie for one month.  Maggie will be flown in around the 23rd.  We will leave Paris on August 22 and spend the rest of the month touring our way down to Fréjus which will be our home for the next 9 months.  

As for what I’ve learned: that no matter how well or how long one prepares for spending a year abroad (in our case, 10 months), the last 6-8 weeks will be stressful and the unexpected will happen.  See you on the other side...