Sorry I missed my normal blog day yesterday. I got back to the United States late at night late last week and spent the weekend readjusting to life (and the time zone) here. This involved jet lag, setting up a bedroom to live in for the next several months, laundry, sorting mail, grocery shopping, and acquiring any missing essentials. Also starting to see family and friends. I’m nowhere near through the list, but then it’s only been a few days. My car’s battery died while I was away, so I’ve been borrowing a car for my errands. Should have the battery restored and oil changed by this evening hopefully.
After devoting the weekend to rest and recuperation, I am back on my game today. Trying anyway. I am starting my application for a Family Visa to go and stay for an extended time in the UK. At the end of that time, I will be able to file to stay permanently. This is quite the process. I thought documenting it might be interesting for anyone interested in the process of moving to another country. I also bought a Hero’s Journal to help me stay organized and motivated while going through all of it. I’m so excited to use it! (I posted pictures of it on my Instagram.)
To start the application to for a visa, visit the UK’s government website. There are many types of visas, so choose the correct one for your situation. I’m applying as a partner. The initial part of the application is fairly basic. After that, there are sections to address on finances and documents, I must sign certain declarations, there is a hefty fee, and then “further actions” I don’t know about just yet. For now, I’m still on the application. Some of the questions were difficult to answer, such as the dates of all my visits to the UK in the last ten years. Thank goodness I kept most of my flight receipts. The truly difficult one will be finding the dates for my cruises because I need to know the exact date I entered every other country I’ve been to in the last ten years. Oh boy. That was my stopping point for today because I have no idea. That will require some digging.
Some of the things that I’m enjoying that I missed in London are wide open spaces and rooms (by comparison), driving, air conditioning, ice in drinks, a huge grocery store with an amazing selection (thanks, Rouse’s), seeing loved ones (besides my fiancé and his awesome family), and not having to concentrate while using stairs. Seriously. Their stairs are a different height and depth, so I could never switch into autopilot when using them. Most of these are things I never really thought about until I didn’t have them.
I will return to my normal style of blogging soon, but this is my life at the moment.
Magical Musings 