Not the same move as nine years ago

Wow life has just kicked into high gear. I have never done an international move before and I had no idea how much work and stress it was. Well I actually have done the international move thing but with a few suitcases and a backpack not with a family and a house and cats. We are up to our ears in last minute bank details, packing lists, selling stuff, giving stuff away, cancelling contracts and making decisions about well, everything actually.

One of the the biggest pains has been trying to end our Orange Internet and SFR cell phone contracts. In France you have to cancel most contracts on the anniversary of your contract or else come up with an official reason why you are ending it early (all by registered letter of course). I'm on registered letter number three with SFR and they are now asking for an official stamp from Seb's boss and the ORIGINAL work contract for his transfer to Mexico. Uh, yeah I think we might need that original guys. Are they nuts? No they're French. As if that wasn't enough I am also getting the lost paperwork syndrome from the CAF for the new baby. This is the third time they've lost it. Third time's the charm right? At least that was the case with Little S's birth. The CAF and SECU are famous for "losing" paperwork so I should take this all as a squishy bureaucratic farewell from my paper-loving government. It doesn't help the stress factor.

My computer is officially sold and will be carted off this Saturday so I have to clear the hard drive and stock all my photos and writings on disk and on my spare hard drive. Anothe goodbye. Another last minute-time consuming thing to do before we leave. Where is my blog secretary when I need her anyway?

This will most likely be my last post until we get settled on our month long vacation in Florida with my parents. I'm really looking forward to relaxing with them. I've really missed my family. We have a lot of fun things planned like amusement parks and long gossipy lunches in little restaurants my mom and sister have discovered in the past few years. I've missed laughing with my mom and sister so much. I can't wait to see them.

We leave France on July 31st. It's going to be hard to say goodbye for such a long time. I've become more French than I care to admit. All that unpasteurized cheese has gone to my head. And my house! I love my house so much (in spite of all my complaints). I feel like I'm leaving behind a family member. But I know that this change is good for us and even the things like the house and our family and neighbors will be easier to accept as time goes by (the benefit of already having done this once gives me that wisdom thank you very much).

Wish us well. A whole new chapter is beginning soon.