Getting closer

Now that we are through Lent and Easter has come and gone, the anticipation has seemingly increased some. While I was online viewing rental properties last night, it occurred to me that we are approaching a time when what we see online might actually still be available when we arrive. This managed to have both an exciting and distressing effect in the same instance. Exciting because I can now allow myself to look at a specific property and attempt to determine what it would be like to live there and distressing because they are still very few options that meet our specific needs.

As we have progressed through the past few months we began to identify things that we needed to keep with us, store here in the states and others that we could part with. At the top of the list for staying with us are our two dogs, Daisy and Ginger. As many of you know pets in my family aren’t really pets at all but extensions of the family. My Father will often lament that if there is such a thing as reincarnation he would prefer to come back as one of my Mother’s dogs.  This sense of extending family to include pets is something my mother has passed on to me so when people ask if we are going to take our dogs with us I have no reason to hesitate. It has always been a foregone conclusion that wherever we go the dogs will follow. However, in regards to house hunting bringing pets over has made the task significantly more difficult.

Here in the states, virtually every house has a private yard of some kind and many of the apartment complexes are pet friendly as well. In the UK things are a bit different. Yesterday while performing my search there were 213 properties that fit our price range and location. Of those 213 only 30 had any sort of garden (UK equivalent of a side yard) and only 20 of those had some semblance of turf in the garden. There were also several that had yards but would not rent to pet owners so that reduced my list down to about 12.

Now twelve properties isn’t necessary a bad number because it really only takes finding the right single location to make it all work. Unfortunately this is where our second major need comes into play.

A common perception about properties in the UK is that they are smaller than homes in the states. From what I have seen it is a perception that is well earned. For not only are the properties physically smaller, their rooms are also significantly more confined as well. So much so that we have decided to leave virtually all of our large American style furniture here in the states to avoid shipping it overseas only to have it stored because there aren’t any rooms large enough to contain it. Therefore a property must also be furnished in order to make the list.

Of the 12 properties I was able to locate yesterday that had some semblance of a garden only 4 of them were furnished. Again four is not an issue if a single one of them is in a livable condition. Unfortunately none of them appeared to pass that final test.

Thankfully we still have five weeks before we arrive in Bristol and another two weeks of corporate housing allowance to find a place. I am certain that in the end we will have enough time to find a place to call home it would just be nice to see a few more options come available as the anticipation continues to mount.

Sold!

It's pretty refeshing to come home to this sign every night...

Now, anyone interested in a washing machine, plasma television, poker table or lawn mower?

Home is where the heart is…

…or so the saying goes. One would think with as much moving as I did as a child that getting attached to houses (or just some bricks and paint, as Adam tells me) wouldn't be a big deal. But, oh, the housing discussions we've had in the Powell house the last few weeks.

I mentioned in an earlier post the people who are assigned to help us through the process of moving internationally. Well, there are few more I should introduce you to on the housing front. We have a temporary housing agent in the UK, a permanent housing agent in the UK, a relocation specialist to assist with the move, and a housing representative in the US. A few clarifications on the roles of all these people. We get temporary housing for two weeks when we first arrive in Bristol & as we're not taking a house hunting trip, we're going to go over a week or so before I start work so we can use that time in temporary housing to look for something permanent. Which leads us to the permanent housing people (why they're not the same people, I don't know that I can answer, but they're two different companies). Please also keep in mind that "permanent" housing is for a grand total of two years, so we're not looking a magnificent mansion to settle into and sit on the back porch to watch our grandkids play. Nope, we're looking for a two-three bedroom flat (<--that was a very British word, did you see how I snuck it in while you weren’t looking?) or a row house. Enough room for us & the puppies plus the occasional visitor.

While we're talking about puppies & visitors, do you know how difficult it is to move two dogs across an ocean? If you ever find yourself in this situation, we highly recommend Pet Relocation. They are wonderful! Cara has been a lifesaver though the (MANY!) panic attacks of getting the girls ready to move. Second, anyone made their plans to come visit yet? My in-law's tell me that they won't buy plane tickets until we are actually over there. Good point, I guess. My father, on the other hand, has spent time memorizing the transatlantic cruise schedule. I, as has been my experience for the past 28 or so years, have no idea what he's planning. Some sort of 2 week cruise to England, visit some old friends, see the daughter & son-in-law, do some general sight-seeing, and fly home trip. Details to be worked out at a later date.

Oh, housing, got a little side tracked there. So our permanent housing friends have given us a few houses browse to get an idea of what we can expect. Here are a few of our favourite (<--totally gone British) sites:

• http://www.rightmove.co.uk/
• http://www.intire.co.uk/
• http://www.oceanhome.co.uk/

According to Catherine, our housing agent, rentals in Bristol move fairly quickly so we shouldn't get our hopes up on anything we see online today because it more than likely won't be there in two and a half months when we want to move in. We're taking suggestions though. If you see any must look-at's, let us know. (I have one rule...well, many, but one that I'm stating now...I'm not living in Wales. You may think this an odd statement, but two unnamed members of the family have already suggested it.)

On the domestic front, our house in Bedford went on the market today. Anyone looking to buy a lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath house on a 1/3 of a acre in a quiet neighborhood conveniently located near two highways? Well, I have a deal for you!

June 6th

Since the summer of 1944, millions the world over associate June 6^th as the beginning of the end of Hitler’s Nazi Germany.  For most of my life that’s exactly what I associated with this specific day. However, for my wife and I June 6, 2011 will take on a new and exciting meaning.  It serves as the beginning of our opportunity to truly see the world. Thanks to my wonderfully talented and exceptionally hard working wife, we have been afforded the opportunity to spend a few years in Bristol, England working, studying and traveling everywhere.

To say that we are excited about this opportunity doesn’t do our emotional state justice. This will be a truly exceptional time in our lives and we are looking forward to sharing as much of it as we can with all of you. In the coming weeks and months you can expect to find updates on planning for the move, things we anticipate experiencing, and some of the difficulties we may have as we transplant ourselves, our stuff and our pets overseas.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of you who have supported us over the years and who are sharing in our excitement as we turn the next page in our life. We love you all and will be looking forward to seeing you all in jolly ol’ England whenever you can make it out.

A little history

I’ve now realized that you might want some history. By you, I mean the three people who are currently interested enough (or bored enough) to actually spend time reading this. Only you know why you are fascinated by us. We have chosen to believe the former scenario is the truth.

So, history. The reaction we’ve gotten most often when telling people we’re moving is some variation of ‘how long have you been planning this?’ Well, not really. The first question is usually ‘when can I come visit?’ followed quickly by ‘what are you doing with your TV?’ The answers to those are ‘whenever you want. Please call first (at least from London – especially those of you in the Spencer family who have a tendency to just show on people’s doorstep).’ and ‘my Dad has dibs; Adam is currently drawing up legal paperwork to ensure safe care over the next two years and a return to our living room once we are back state side.’

On to the planning. We’ve actually talked about living overseas since we got married. I’ve had the opportunity to live in England twice before and really loved it both times. Adam has lived in Tucson, which is kind of like a foreign country, so we’re both well traveled. One of the reasons I liked PwC was their international presence and their program to have employees participate in rotations in other countries. What they fail to mention when they hire you at age 22 is that you have to be employed with PwC about 5-6 years before they’ll consider sending you anywhere. So they said no when I applied after about two months. Ah, to be young and naive.

Then, about two years ago I started seriously talking with some of the managers and partners at work about our desire to go overseas. The question was always ‘where do you want to go?’ My answer was always ‘first choice is anywhere in the UK, second choice is anywhere English speaking’. I figured lots of options would make the process go faster. Boy, was I wrong there! They considered the options and after a lot of paperwork and A LOT of waiting, they told me I was in the program.

After making it into the program, you then have to interview with the offices that have openings for international secondments. They also assigned me a “Global Mobility Advocate.” Do you know how many sentences I’ve started with, ‘My Global Mobility Advocate says…’. Trust me, it’s more than you can easily count. My Global Mobility Advocate asked what I would think of Bristol, England. I said yes. That’s really been my answer to most things lately, so if you’re wanting a favor, now is the time to ask! Back to my story, they set up a call with a director in Bristol. The interview went great. The job they had open was something I’m interested in (more on that later, you don’t need to be completely bored with accounting talk tonight). The timing of when they wanted someone also worked well with the commitments we had over here already. At the end of the interview, he told me that he was going to speak with my partner, but that he really thought it would work out. After the call, I called Adam to tell him it went well, then I sent an email to my partner to give her the heads up that she’d be getting a call. Come to find out, she’d already received a call from him. Apparently, he was excited too.

Within the week, we had an offer to move to Bristol. And the adventure begins.

It's Official

We're moving to Bristol! We've told parents, grandparents, siblings & cousins, so we can finally tell the rest of the internet. We are very excited. Adam will share more details soon.

Football or Rugby that is the question

Since the Texas Rangers don’t broadcast to the UK, I have decided to find a local league to follow. I started watching English Premier League football a few weeks ago to familiarize myself with the teams and sport in general. I played soccer a few times as a child so, I’m pretty much an expert in the sport. However, I’ve come to realize that there is significantly more strategy than I learned as a first grader so many millennia ago.


The first game I caught was between Everton and Man City and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found myself quickly rooting for Everton in a match that saw them playing in the snow. Something the announcers assured us was a rare thing indeed. However, I have not had the chance to see the Toffee’s in another match and none of the other matches I have seen have been as riveting as that first one. There is also the issue of not having a local team to support. Most of the cities that we could be living in don’t have Premier League teams and being able to connect with locals through their local teams is something I am really hoping to accomplish.


Fortunately a soon to be in-law from England suggested I look into Rugby. I had always thought of Rugby as a bit odd and difficult to understand and wasn’t fully aware of its popularity within the UK. If you could compare sports in terms of popularity the English Premier League would seem to compare to the NFL and Rugby might be the MLB. The sports themselves are completely different, yet the size and number of followers appears to be similar. Since I prefer the MLB to the NFL, I have decided to give Rugby some serious consideration. In fact, tonight Amanda and I saw our first Aviva Premiership match between the Harlequin Quins and the London Irish Exiles. Again, it did not take me long to pick a team to root for and chose the Exiles. Somehow it just seemed fitting that an Expat from Texas would root for a team nicknamed the Exiles. I must admit that I am interested to learn more about London Welsh considering part of my families heritage derives from Wales. I will also admit that I know next to nothing about the different Rugby leagues throughout the UK and which teams they consist of.


Perhaps one of the things that I find most exciting about this adventure is the chance to be completely enveloped in a different lifestyle than we would find in the metroplex. Not a wholesale change for the rest of our lives, but a chance to see how other people around the world live and celebrate life. Watching and learning about Premier League Football or one of the many Rugby Leagues with locals at the neighborhood pub is certainly something that will provide me with that sense of belonging to our new lifestyle.