Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Marbella

The last weekend in May is a Bank Holiday here, so we're going to fly South for some R&R. I studied abroad in Spain in the mid-90's, but never made it as far South as Marbella.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Introducing Defra, aka an Expat's Worst Nightmare

So, where's Vella you ask? Well, our little Vella Violet is at Camp Rosedale in Massapequa, NY until July 27th. Not only did my mother-in-law take me in for a month after I left the apartment in NYC, but she's keeping the dog for the next 10 weeks.

Why? Because the UK still has lovely quarantine laws. The good news is that you can avoid quarantine through the Pet Travel Scheme. The bad news is that it means waiting 6 months in the home country following a negative rabies test before transport to the UK. So, you're out luck either way. You either bring your dog over and put them in quarantine or leave them behind with family/friends until it's time to travel. Leaving her behind was the lesser of the two evils for us.

Vella will be transported on British Airways at the end of July. There is a special holding area under the cockpit that is temperature controlled and pressurized for live animal transport. We're basically a wreck.

Little girl also has to step up her game once she's here though! In true British form, the dogs are ridiculously well mannered and run around the parks/streets off leash. Vella off leash is a nightmare. It means we chase her, screaming our heads off. Listening and obedience aren't her forte. Doing things her way, "barking" back and lounging on the furniture, now you're talking. Needless to say, we'll be hiring a dog trainer to fix all of our mistakes.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Long Way to Go


The flight was just the beginning! I have a wonderful husband who spent hours getting things unpacked and organized last weekend. Here's a teaser picture of the living room. The living room, dining room and kitchen will come together quickly. The bedrooms are another story. We're basically starting from scratch. It took me two years to pick out bedding for one room in New York City. At that rate, I won't choose anything here in London.

I didn't sleep much on the overnight flight and spent most of today tying up loose ends for my role in New York. Matt and I will have dinner tonight and I'll head to the London office tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to putting names with faces after hours of phone conversations.

This weekend? Sleep and exploring Notting Hill!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Heading across the Pond (Finally)

I leave for London on Tuesday! The past few months are a blur of running around doing errands, seeing friends and family, and wrapping up paperwork. Oh, and finding a job. That worked out well and I start on the 19th. The good news is that I don't have much packing to do between now and Tuesday since we moved out of the apartment about 4 weeks ago. Yes, I've been living out of three very large suitcases. The tricky part will be finding room for all of the last-minute purchases I've made in the past few weeks.

What am I looking forward to most? Seeing my husband! He's been in London since February and I'm really anxious to start living our life again. We have a dinner date scheduled for next Saturday at Beach Blanket Babylon on Ledbury Road in Notting Hill. I haven't looked my best lately (think flip flops, unwashed hair and North Face fleeces), so it will be a nice change of pace to have a night out on the town. We almost took a flat on this block, which has amazing shopping and restaurants.

I have no doubt that I will have plenty to say in the next few weeks! See you in blogland at the end of the week from across the pond. Keep your fingers crossed that the volcano doesn't keep me here in NY!