The shippers arrived!!!

Well after weeks of planning and telephone conversations the shippers arrived today to pack up all our belongings ready for transport to Canada.   I must say that I was expecting to feel sad that all our worldly goods were being packed away into boxes, but initially I was more concerned with making sure I didn't forget anything.  

The two guys that came were fantastic and put us both at ease.  I did however, ply them with tea and doughnuts in the hope that it would mean our things would be well looked after! (not that I think it would have made a difference).  But it took them only 3 1/2 hours to get everything loaded into the truck and we watched it drive down the road.  Our household furniture now consists of two sofas, a table and four chairs, a couple of coffee tables and s/king size bed base with a double sofa bed mattress on it.  We are now using a lovely set of blue picnic dining plates and cutlery, with only 5 mugs in the entire house.  Its almost like camping but I am sure the novelty will wear off very quickly.  I have arranged for the BHF to come and collect the last of our furniture next week and then the last of our goods that are not being packed will be given away to neighbours.

So with the party this weekend we are looking forward to catching up with our friends and family but not the inevitable goodbyes that will follow.   

A Quick Update.

As you can see it has been a good few weeks since our last post, that is due to the huge amount of progress that has been made and the fact that we have been working non-stop to fit all the pieces together.  

Firstly we've done two of three car boot sales (the third being this sunday) making £170 and £90 adding much needed funds to the move.  We have booked the shipping company and they are coming on the 30th April to take away all our belongings, aswell as the BHF who are taking our last few bits of furniture. 

 

Eventually we had the e-mail we've been waiting for from BUNAC to say they have our visas and a request for our flight and insurance details so they can send our visas to us!!!  Our flight is booked for 5:25pm, Thursday 14th May, arriving in Calgary at 19:50pm local time!.  Domino will be following us a couple of days later.  We have had the very kind offer to stay with Hayden and Deedee when we first arrive until we find a rental property and cars etc, giving us a base in which to get everything sorted, for which we are very grateful! 

With our leaving party on the 2nd things are becoming very real and with almost all of our furniture in the house sold, it feels very empty.   We have both finished work and are spending the majority of our days on the phone ringing various companies trying to complete our countdown list.  

Nige has sold both his bikes and I have a buyer for FeeBee (my VW Beetle)  so my mum is coming up this weekend to lend us a car til we go.  Our wall calender is filling up quickly with meals out and drinks with friends in order for us to get the chance to say goodbye to everyone before we leave. 

We're nearly there!!

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I found out today that following my SEC assessment in London in early February, CARNA have decided to grant me registration as a graduate nurse in Calgary!  I was so relieved that I can go straight into employment once we get to Canada.  The room with all our 'car boot' items is fit to bursting, but a very kind friend of mine Ange has offered to come with me next weekend to try and sell a lot of it.  

We are now just awaiting the arrival of our visas for the mad rush to begin with shipping companies and flight bookings!

The countdown continues!!

At last I have had my medical for my visa today in Liverpool.   Following my knee op two weeks ago today I am still currently off work but had dosed myself up ready for today.  

We have already sold a lot of furniture etc and the house is beginning to look very bare, some rooms are even echoing its that empty!  With the invites having gone out for our leaving party we are storming ahead with the check lists.  We are hoping that with the medical out of the way that the visa's won't be long behind them.  

We have spent an increasing amount of time looking through current rentals in Calgary and are hoping to be able to contact our realtor very soon with a confirmed date and a short list of potentials and we've already purchased the necessary edible payment for him (He will know what we mean!!)  I will be handing in my notice at work next week, then we will be on the final countdown.  I have yet to hear the outcome of my SEC assessment, so I'm getting worried now that it will be bad news, but all I can do is wait for them to arrive.  With the credit crunch having hit Calgary we have heard that things have slowed down on the jobs front but we both believe that we would still be in a better position than in this country.  We have  also decided to start the perminant residency application as this usually takes about 12 months so I have downloaded all the forms today ready to fill in (another job for me whilst I'm off work).

Just think in about nine weeks we could be writing these posts from Canada!!!!! 

An Update of our Progress

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

The speed is picking up as we start to plan for our move.  We have had an e-mail to say that our visas have been forwarded to the Canadian High Commission for processing so we should have them both by the end of April at the very very latest. This means we are still on target for an early May departure.  We have arranged for our property to be managed by someone whom we know (who is very experienced in managing rentals)  so we won't have to worry about it when we go.  

We have now set up, what we call ' the nerve centre' of operations in our spare room!  This is basically an enormous wall planner, a detailed check list of everything that needs to be done (which is being continually added to!) four folders of all our documentation, leaflets, lots of post-it notes and some rather brightly coloured markers!!  

One of the most drastic things that has taken place over the last week is that Sophie has started the unenviable task of going room to room to sort our all our belongings as ideally we don't want to take too much with us.  We have already made the decision not to take any furniture and will be selling that before we leave, but once you have decided a cupboard is not going with you, it is amazing how much stuff that little cupboard contains!!!!  

Initially we thought it would be similar to moving house, with the added bonus of being able to buy new furniture at the other end.  This however, as we have quickly gathered, is not going to be the case.  We have designated different bedrooms in the house to different fates for the contents within them, one for car boot, one for taking and another for storage in the UK (i.e.friends lofts!!) Things that are staying put are things that will go in our suitcases.   This way it will give us a better idea how much we actually want to take, and hopefully allow us to be realistic about what to actually take.  The house now looks like a cross between a minimalist show home and a flea market depending on which room you are in!!  

Sophie completed her SEC assessment last week and now just has to wait 5 weeks to find out how she did.  She has also had her date for her knee op and has managed to get a cancellation for the 3rd of March so should be fighting fit for the leaving party (which has now been booked for the 2nd May).

Will keep you posted with any other developments.

London SEC Assessments

Well tomorrow I am completing the 2 day SEC nursing assessment down in London and am just waiting for Nige to come home from work to take me to the train station (so just killing time with a quick post).  What with the severe weather conditions down there, I was worried to begin with that it may be delayed (wishful thinking I think) but so far everything is going ahead as planned.  I'm not sure what order things will take place over the two days but am starting to get very nervous.  I plan to do a final bit of revision on the train and then tonight at the hotel but have come to the conclusion that I can't learn a three year course in two weeks so can only do my best and hope that I do enough to convince the assessors that I don't require any further training.  If however I do have any identified 'skill gaps' then to get out to Calgary and complete the training as soon as possible so I can continue doing the job I love!  

Wish me luck!!!

Winter/Calgary Sports Update!

Nige here.

Just a quick update on our Canadian sports adventures! I have been putting quite a bit of time in at the Ice rink in a bid to start playing Ice hockey and have since joined the local Recreational team, the Flintshire Phantoms http://www.thephantoms.co.uk/. 3 training sessions in and I'm comfortably the worst player on the team, but I love it and the challenge of learning a new sport. Managed to get all the kit second hand as a job lot on ebay for £155 to include 2 pairs of skates (1 new), hockey stick, all pads, socks, 3 hockey tops including a brand new Calgary Flames top, helmet, gloves, kit bag and the all important box! In time I'm sure we'll get some pics up and maybe a short video (but only when I'm upright more than I'm horizontal!!).

Unfortunately Sophie hasn't been able to skate since hurting her knee during October half term when we went to Chillfactore http://www.chillfactore.com/ in Manchester for a second session on the snow. This means her progress has been halted somewhat. However, her knee has improved now and we took the opportunity to get down to the snowdome http://www.snowdome.co.uk/ at Tamworth this Friday for a 3 hour Recreational Board and Ski for £25 each including board/skis, bindings, boots and helmet for me which I needed. Took a little bit to get back into it, but we were soon flying from the top of the slope and had a great morning with some noticeable improvements. Really looking forward to getting on the slopes in Canada now!

Must try and get some piccies etc to add to this!