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No??
Good.
Because packing and preparations are all I think about! ALL. DAY. LONG.
The lists are ridiculous. In fact I need to go through my lists and make a different list. They are organized all wrong and it's driving me batty.
This weekend I went to storage and went through everything! I got SO much done! Thanks to help from a good friend!! We organized things into piles of packing, selling, things to go through. I was surprised because there is actually not that much to pack. I mean there is a lot, but not quite as much as I thought.
I have not decided how I am shipping things yet. I tried one place, Confianca, who will let me buy part of a container, but I would have to drive everything to Miami and it's a little expensive. I told you all this, right? So I am going to check at a couple more places for some prices. Any suggestions? I was told there was a Brazilian store here that would sell me boxes and ship them for me...however when I went in...I just did NOT have a good feeling. They took me back into this little room, the guy was kinda creepy, and he kept pulling on his pants in the crotch area...which quite frankly never makes me feel comfortable. So I decided to scratch that idea. I will have to find a different way.
The really GREAT thing about going through everything was that they were all my wedding presents! I forgot how much stuff we had received! The even better thing? We registered at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Let me tell you why that place is great. I got married on March 8, 2008. On March 28, 2009 they let me return $250 worth of presents that had been unopened for the price they were LAST YEAR and they gave me CASH!!!!! I was really sad to have to return my things, but let me just say this again, NOT store credit people...CASH. And they were so good about having to print out the registry, go through it, and it was quite a few things! That was definitely a HAPPY moment!
So to close: Bed, Bath, and Beyond: Friend.
My room: DISASTER AREA.
Gracie and Flying: She can be carried on with me for my domestic flights, but when we travel from Miami to BH, she has to be in the cabin. YAY! Now, new dilemma, I need to figure out what type of kennel can be used above and below. This will be very difficult. I think I will have to use a soft bag for domestic and see if they will let me gate check her hard (plastic) kennel (like you would a stroller). That is the only way I think it will work. Can I just tell you how complicated this has gotten? And that I will have to pay a $100 fee for her to ride domestically with me and then another $150 to check her? *sigh* But at least I have found some sort of solution. Maybe.
And just so you all know, I feel more alive than I have in a YEAR. I FINALLY know what I am doing, where I am going, and I am forming a PLAN. I am making LISTS! And I can carry those lists out!! I LOVE IT! Don't get me wrong, I have tearful moments still. The ones where I get sad because I don't want to leave...but I really am just so happy to be moving forward!
4 days ago
18 comments:
I can't imagine having to pack EVERYTHING and have to ship it somehow. You're doing wonderful!!
:)
~Tabitha~
freshmommyblog.com
I'm glad things are coming together for you and you know what's going on.
And, woohoo for $250!!
I'm so happy for you! Yea for feeling alive!
i meant to tell you that when we did our cross country move, we bought cd binders (300 CDS to each binder) and put everything in binders. we shipped our cases. moving companies are notorious for taking cds.
if you use a moving company vs. shipping through UPS or whatever, be sure to inventory each box. label with numbers so people don't know what is in each box. it doesn't hurt to take pictures either. something WILL break or be lost and that is how you get your money back.
i'm excited for you! things are moving forward.
You are going to be great here in Brazil! Your first question to me is this- My family is in brazil, because my husbands job took us here. I guess maybe I should write a intro on my blog about this since I don't speak of why I am here..LOL The moving question: When we moved to Brazil there was a service we used that came to our house packed, loaded and shipped everything for us. We did this about a month before we moved. It was expensive tho and our advantage is in the end my hubby's company paid.. Everything showed up.. I think if I had to do it over again I would not have brought so much furniture from home. It is much more affordable here than in the states. I must tell you this.. We had to wait almost 4 months after arriving for our things to be cleared thru customs. You might not have any problems, because your hubby is Brazilian. I will cross my fingers for ya.. The language question you asked is simple.. You will learn the language very fast.. Your advantage is your hubby of course, but in order to survive you are forced to learn just by everyday life situations.. The hardest thing about Portuguese is the pronunciation.. It will come over time tho and one day you will just be like..OMG I am speaking in Portuguese and they can understand. That's how it happened for me anyway. I have not perfected my Portuguese, but I am good enough to get around very comfortably and am learning more everyday. I use to carry a cheat sheet in my purse, so if I ran across someone that couldn't understand me- I'd just pull it out and let them read..LOL My husband use to laugh about this! It works though.. I even bought a cell phone with a cheat sheet..
One of my biggest complaint is we have 3 dvd players (came from America) and I rent movies from Blockbuster here in Rio. Well, I have to keep my fingers crossed because almost a 50/50 chance it will not work in our DVD players. We just now bought a DVD player here in Brazil, but a cheap one (130 reais) Yes this is one of the cheaper 130 reais.. and we still have problems! But all the DVDs from America work just fine, so pack all of them.. LOL It took me a long time to get use to living here. I had months of crying and depression. Remember the change curve and you will be more prepared for things to come. It gets easier everyday = ) I am so excited for you and things are going to fall into place!
keep going Stephanie! It sounds like you are moving forward...and trust me, for me, close to 7 years later, I still cry when someone leaves or I leave my family!
why not use the same plastic carrier onboard too? it is a cat, right? so it should be small enough to fit under the seat? or am I mistaken and it is a dog?
I think it would be easiest to just check him/her all the way through truthfully...anyways, let me know if you need anything!
BG
Congrats on the big move! I wish you all the best. I hope you keep going with the blog.
I am happy for you!!! How exciting to be moving forward and knowing where you are going. YEAH!!!!!
Lisa Q
I am so happy that you are happy. I am glad that you can finally move forward and that you will soon be with your honey.
And woo-freaking-hoo on the $250! That will certainly help with your moving costs! :D
Much love & blessings to you, babe.
xoxo
Good luck with your sorting and packing and shipping.....I'm sending prayers for your safe move to Brazil.
I was so glad to read you feeling "alive". That is what will help you in all of this and I´m sure you will never regret making this sacrifice for your hubby!
Hoooray! It's coming together. I know that vets say don't tranquilize pets for plane travel... but, as crunchy and natural as i try to be, I'd probably do it anyway. My dog is so high strung she'd have a heart attack being checked in a kennel for 10 hours. Or maybe consider something natural like valarian extract or Bach flowers "Rescue Remedy."
Ugh, I don't know what to tell you about the container. We did the container, but like I told you it cost an arm and a leg. And, American in Brazil is right, it will take FOREVER to get things thru customs, so be prepared...
We rented our container and were paying a daily rental fee and the stupid workers at the port went on strike right as it got there. It sat for months in the port in the baking sun (computers, grand piano, sensitive recording equipment) before the custom's agent finally got it out for us. But amazingly NOTHING was broken or stolen.
We inventoried and numbered every single box with an exact list of the contents. There were over 200 total. We did this both for customs and for our own peace of mind. Even my wine glasses made it!
I think you are wise however to bring your dvd's and any thing else of value on the plane with you...
Hang in there!!!!!! It's coming together!
It seems that you already have some good advice. Camillo was repatriating when we came here and we used an international frieght forwarder and their packers. was expensive but if I'd known then what I know now I would have paid more. There just are so many things you can't buy here for a resonable price - example - we have a set of bubble wine glasses - hand blown - that I paid usd 10.00 for each (probably on sale). here for a good wine glass it can run upward of 125.00R$ EACH. Even adjusting for the exchange rate (which I never do) it is still about us$ 65 or so. Make sure of what electric you will have here. in Rio is 110 like the US but in Friburgo it is 220 so none of my small appliances would work up here. I am sure the customs requires your inventory to list items and values, not just numbers. it took us a little over 30 days to get our stuff out of customs - paying rent there is their way of making money - for sure. good luck on your move.
Great news about BB&B. I can't believe they took back all your stuff at their original prices. That is a miracle!!! Hehe!
I don't have any suggestions for you as far as shipping all your stuff. Wish I knew more to help. At least you don't have to worry about Gracie now. I bet she will love sunny Brazil!
I really hate having to pack! I never thought of myself as an person who is organized enough to pack by myself. That is why I'm use my mom while I still have her with me!
Of course that I'm just packing for a year, and you are packing for a life.
hugs!
Danielle,
I have thought about bringing less stuff!! In fact I wish I could just throw it all in storage and forget it! But the fact is, it would cost just as much money (actually a little more) to keep it in storage, than it is to ship it. And even though I complain about it, I love the stress of it all..it means I am going somewhere!! :) Plus I am not even bringing half of what we own! I am getting rid of so much it really is sad for me! But only because I feel like it symbolizes the life we didn't get to live, though I am grateful to be together either way, but you know what I mean?
I dont think you are being a brat, I absolutely get your point! I also think it will make me feel a little better to have a little comfort of home with me! I know I am going to be in culture shock and I am going to be homesick! We wont make a lot of money right off and it will make it a little easier to actually have some things so that we can focus on getting some of the other things we need! I am selling most of it so I can bring the cash with me to get whatever else we need for our apartment..whenever we get that!! :)
I think it sounds like you are moving forward and getting things done. :)
So - I have to ask, before I forget.
What are you doing about work? Did you already give notice??
When are you leaving again??
Do you're in-laws care that your bringing a dog??
How long will you be living with your in-laws for?
Have you met them?
Is Mr. S in Brazil already??
Okay - now that the 20 questions is done.
I'm EXCITED for you!!! Even my hubs (who i've spoken with about your love story many times) says what an adventure it will be for you both!!! :) And I TOTALLY understand how great it feels to scratch things off of your "to do" lists! :)
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