[leslie]

you know that point where you are just fed up talking about doing something and you really need to actually DO it???

the ita is off, the house is on the market, our 14 year old has finally come on board and we've agreed the shipping. am biting my nails for the first time since 8 yrs old. time has come. we're planning to fly out late may. any mental survival tactics to get through the final stretch??? as we're arriving mid-winter the usual 'picture yourself on a sandy beach with the sun in your face and a massive icecream in your hand' wont work. how did everyone else do it?

[Pezhk]

Hey leslie,
instead of the beach and ice creams just picture yourself skiing and then relaxing in a thermal hot pool under the stars, while drinking a VB :nice1

[leslie]

good, good. eternally indebted.

perfect image to take to bed after 2 hours of internet research. may be impatient but i'm finally tired. tomorrow is another day though... dont slack.

schuss............................................ .................................................. ..

[shagen]

Hang in there Leslie. It will pass!

It doesn't mater what season you arrive. What is important is that you arrive!

Shagen

[Diny]

I'm kind of surviving these (hopefully) last few weeks in a kind of stupor really.

The house sale (so far) seems to be going OK :hopeso . We've booked our flights for May 21st - making sure we paid just a small amount of insurance enabling us to cancel them until a later date should everythng go 'belly up'.

Must admit booking the flights felt like a huge test of fate, but then we realised that if we didn't book them, and things actually do go OK, we may not get seats on the dates we want. We thought it was best to reserve places 'just in case'.

My days are very busy, you don't realise just how much there is to do until you start. Thankfully PB is home this morning after 5 weeks away on his oil rig so the load will (should) be halved.

My worst times are nights, head touches the pillow and 'BAM' I'm wide awake. I have a note pad and pen by the side of the bed to jot down all those jobs I think of during the wee hours.

Arriving mid winter is neither here nor there really. We're heading to a 'milder' part of the country so hopefully it won't be too bad. We're prepared for the worst though and have resigned ourselves to a trip to the Warehouse on day 1 to stock up on room heaters. Being cold indoors is not an option - I envisage alot of money being spent on power and wood.

I don't think I'm coping .... I'm just exisiting at the moment. Had a nice phone call from Babette last night which always cheers us both up. Amazing how effective a chat to somebody in the same boat is :nice1

On the upside ...... my appetite seems to have disappeared. Maybe this will have a positive effect on how tight my jeans are ........ but don't hold your breath :uhoh

Diny

[wilson182]

I know exactly where you guys are coming from. I have been exactly where you are now, and I know how horrible it is. I dont have any tips on how to get through it, like Diny, I just did.

What I can say, on a positive note, is you WILL get through it and come out the other side. And it will all be worth it. :nice1

[Lil]

I've been there too for the past 3 months, just wishing my life away and going through the motions everyday. It's not a nice place to be but I'm afraid it is inevitable. I have to say though that the past few weeks have been really good fun and on reflection the time has really whizzed by in a whirl of goodbyes, parties etc.

I think we went through the worst of it being during the winter and snow etc. It was very depressing, we wished for nice weekends so we could do stuff to take our minds of the waiting. The warmer weather and sushine over the past week has lifted our spirits, not to mention today being the last one at work.

[Diny]

Have to agree with the better weather lifting the spirits - it's been great hasn't it?

Last day at work today? Bet you're feeling brilliant eh?

Diny

[Bubbles]

I honestly can't wait to be in that situation :nice1

[leslie]

the last time we left london (permanantly) we spent 6 months doing absolutely everything. we had so much fun and time went v quickly. somehow we just cannot do it now - so tired and driving such a problem. former day-trips are now over-nighters in squalid little hotels. yeuuch.

diny- know your pain. we lived transcontinental for a while (weeks here, weeks there) and it was exhausting. in the end i'd have moved just about anywhere we could stay put. must be major challenge to have spouse away when all this is going on. hub was with me in run-up to come back and it helped - also happened fairly quickly compared with nz experience. imgine how calm everything will be once you are finally there. what will you do with all the space in your head???

[Diny]

what will you do with all the space in your head???

Well some would say that space has been there for the last 41 years :laugh

Actually, I did mention the other day that I can't wait until I can sit down and think of nothing.

Mark got home yesterday, we're now deliberating over breakfast, trying to think of every reason under the sun why we shouldn't go and tackle that garage.

Diny

[chips]

you know that saying
" Good things come to those who wait"-
I never believed it.... but .. after making the decesion to emigrate in the new year of 2004, we stepped off the plane on the 4th of January 2005.
And the saying is true............ hang in there ......... :nice1

[NW2NZ]

I'm thinking of spending some time videoing two tapes;
1. All the sights and sounds of things I think I'll miss
2. All the sights and sounds of things I think I won't miss!

Hopefully, when (if) I get homesick, I can play both tapes and that should cure me of any "pangs". :hopeso

[Diny]

Hey Sharon

Are you coming to the meeting on saturday?

Diny

[NW2NZ]

Sincerely hope so Diny, but if I can't make it I'm relying on you for photo's etc etc! I feel as if I've met you all already. Thanks for your efforts. Hope you continue to post as often once you're "over there".