As of today, we plan to arrive in Venezuela in 55 days. Two months feels like an appropriate amount of time to plan an international move, so I don't feel much stress. But at the same time, with 55 days and counting, time must be used wisely and I have begun to plan.
I alluded earlier to making lists. I've made quite a few. I've got a spreadsheet full of lists. The first list is of questions. When I'm brushing my teeth, I suddenly think up a question about the move. When I'm at the grocery store, I wonder if I should pack apple juice. When I'm vacuuming, I wonder if I'll have any carpet.
So far, I have 33 questions. The largest number of them surround our home. The embassy will choose our housing for us, so we will not need to seek out a home after we arrive. Our first night in Caracas will likely be spent at our own address. Our home will be furnished, and so our shipment can be full of rugs and dishes and toys. But how many bathroom rugs will I need in this new home? And will we need blankets on the beds?
Other questions are about our lifestyle. I'd love information on any international churches. Is there a women's Bible Study? If there's not, should I bring the materials to start one? And what about the school - will the kids bring their lunches and need snacks? We have a consumables shipment for Venezuela - that means that we can ship a certain allotment of groceries on top of our regular household items - and I have no doubt that granola bars and fruit snacks are cheaper at Safeway than in the commissary. Do we bring our bikes? What about our cell phones?
I'll spare you the rest of the list. Happily, the embassy has someone on staff to answer all of my questions. She (or he) is the Community Liason Officer (CLO), and a large part of her job is to help me move in to Venezuela. She'll arrange our orientation and hook us up with both a professional sponsor and a social sponsor. The professional sponsor will meet us at the airport when we arrive. The social sponsor, I believe, will show us the grocery store and the playgrounds and hopefully have kids ready to play with our girls. Each of these 3 are ready to answer any and all of our questions (and probably had many of the same questions before they arrived). I've been nervous to begin asking questions, because I don't want to look crazy with my deluge of requests for information. But I have been well assured that the CLO took this job because she loves helping folks through their move - and I'll admit, I think it'd be a fun job. So she can look forward to regular emails and plenty of questions from over the next 55 days. I have a feeling my list of questions will grow, rather than shrink.
My most pressing question this week:
How do I find the time to plan a move, study Spanish, and care for my children and myself?
I worry she won't have an answer to that one.
I alluded earlier to making lists. I've made quite a few. I've got a spreadsheet full of lists. The first list is of questions. When I'm brushing my teeth, I suddenly think up a question about the move. When I'm at the grocery store, I wonder if I should pack apple juice. When I'm vacuuming, I wonder if I'll have any carpet.
So far, I have 33 questions. The largest number of them surround our home. The embassy will choose our housing for us, so we will not need to seek out a home after we arrive. Our first night in Caracas will likely be spent at our own address. Our home will be furnished, and so our shipment can be full of rugs and dishes and toys. But how many bathroom rugs will I need in this new home? And will we need blankets on the beds?
Other questions are about our lifestyle. I'd love information on any international churches. Is there a women's Bible Study? If there's not, should I bring the materials to start one? And what about the school - will the kids bring their lunches and need snacks? We have a consumables shipment for Venezuela - that means that we can ship a certain allotment of groceries on top of our regular household items - and I have no doubt that granola bars and fruit snacks are cheaper at Safeway than in the commissary. Do we bring our bikes? What about our cell phones?
I'll spare you the rest of the list. Happily, the embassy has someone on staff to answer all of my questions. She (or he) is the Community Liason Officer (CLO), and a large part of her job is to help me move in to Venezuela. She'll arrange our orientation and hook us up with both a professional sponsor and a social sponsor. The professional sponsor will meet us at the airport when we arrive. The social sponsor, I believe, will show us the grocery store and the playgrounds and hopefully have kids ready to play with our girls. Each of these 3 are ready to answer any and all of our questions (and probably had many of the same questions before they arrived). I've been nervous to begin asking questions, because I don't want to look crazy with my deluge of requests for information. But I have been well assured that the CLO took this job because she loves helping folks through their move - and I'll admit, I think it'd be a fun job. So she can look forward to regular emails and plenty of questions from over the next 55 days. I have a feeling my list of questions will grow, rather than shrink.
My most pressing question this week:
How do I find the time to plan a move, study Spanish, and care for my children and myself?
I worry she won't have an answer to that one.
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