Moving to a foreign country requires hundred of details and decisions, both big and small, that must be made along the way. This is not something one can really leave to chance, hoping for the best; instead, one must become almost hyper-organized (read: anal) so that the critical details don't get left out by mistake. I mean, if I fly to Paris and realize I forgot my toothbrush or even my favorite pillow, that's easy to rectify. But if I realize I neglected to purchase power converter/adaptor kits for all my computer equipment, I'd be in a world of hurt (and off-line) until I could dig some up.
So I am constantly thinking up new questions for myself to answer and new decisions that must be made. They range from virtual no-brainers to real heart-breakers, like:
How many clothing items do I want to bring, or ship? Do I really need ALL my shoes? (Hint: the answer is always YES. Same with handbags and scarves.) Should I pack the American measuring cups and spoons because I don't have a clue how to translate my already dubious cooking skills into metric? Should I pack all my winter gear or leave some behind since I'm coming back at Christmas anyway? What about that small shopping cart I found that would come in handy for going to the local market without breaking my back - is it worth shipping it over or can I buy one more cheaply once I'm there? And how on earth am I going to tell my grandmother -- who has a heart condition -- I'm going to move away for an entire year... and how will I cope with the inevitable guilt of knowing that this may, quite literally, kill her at a very frail age 94 (and I'm not even exaggerating about that)?
One of the big decisions I've already made while procrastinating about telling my Grandma is that I'm going to sell my car* as quickly as possible even though it will mean I'll have to pay to rent a car almost until the date I have to leave. There's no sense in continuing to make car payments (I only have a year left on my loan) and insurance payments, and having the car sitting in my mother's driveway where she has to worry about periodically running it so the battery doesn't go dead, "just in case" I need a car in a year, should I decide to return to the States at that time. So today I posted an ad* on two popular websites and I'm going to run ads in local papers, put out flyers in local stores, etc. The only thing left to do here is take and post a few more current photos of the car and hope I get a buyer who will meet my asking price in the next two or three weeks. It's good to get one big thing out of the way.
And one fun "chore" is that I am resuming my French lessons again tomorrow to get in a few weeks as a mini-refresher before I go. Because it's been about 6-7 months since my last classes and for the life of me I feel like I've forgotten how to construct complete sentences above a second grade level. I can point to objects and say the words: "ma voiture rouge". "Le gazon est vert." "Donnez-moi une verre d'eau, SVP."
But as I am going through my normal life, I'm realizing how much I still don't know. Like (guys, cover your eyes for this part if you're squeamish about "women problems"), how do I ask for tampons if I can't find them at the pharmacie? Do they even carry my brand over there? (OK, guys, you can open your eyes again now, the coast is clear.) Today I went to my bank here at home and set up the capability to wire-transfer funds over the phone; but how do I ask my bank in France (once I get one) for the correct information I need in order to complete the wire transfer, if their English isn't better than my French? Merde, but there's a lot to learn!
So here it is, less than a week since I made the final decision to go and I am making some initial progress. Every day I'm handling something, which feels like progress. Sometimes it's a big something and sometimes it's only a small something, but all the details count. Like today I took all my DVD's out of their individual cases, packed the cases up in a box for storage, and put the disks in one of those CD carriers because it will require less space and cost to ship them to France and because one thing I KNOW is that I can't be without my movies in a country that has like 10 TV channels.
I AM, after all, an American through to the core. And we like our TV and our flicks!
So the rest of this week is mainly about sorting and packing and storing things... oh, the fun of moving!
*About the car: If you or someone you know is within range of Hackettstown, New Jersey (that's in Warren County) and you are looking for a good used car with low mileage, it's a bright red 2002 Honda Civic EX 2-Door Coupe with a racing stripe black/charcoal interior and only 30,500 miles! My asking price is currently $14,795 which reflects the excellent condition of the car. Details can be found here and you can contact me here to get more information or ask to see the car.
