Chipping away at the mountain that grew...

Who knew that a mountain could grow so fast?

I'm referring to my endless to-do list that seems to have grown exponentially in the past week.    While I’d love for every entry in this blog to be a glowing account of how wonderful this life-transition is, it wouldn’t be authentic.  While this is no doubt a special time of wedding planning and moving overseas, the reality is that it takes a lot to accomplish it all!

Here are some highlights from the list.  (I suspect that if I were to try to line up all of my tasks end-to-end, they might form a footbridge across the Atlantic!).

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A few more appointments with wedding vendors

• florist
• cake
• photographer
• DJ and/or other music-related items
• wine selection
• reception venue

Many other misc items pertaining to events following the wedding cermony

Dress fittings and alterations
Shop for a veil
Buy postage, put together and mail wedding invititations
Printing ceremony programmes, guest book, placecards and various such items
Schedule rehearsal
Finalize elements of the wedding ceremony
Figure out wedding rings
Flights!
Hired car

Accommodations for guests and for myself upon moving out of my apartment
Figuring out dates to give advance notice of termination of everything – from rent, each utility company, cable, internet, phone, and any other service subscribed to

Figuring out last day of work
Coordination of benefits from work – and all the nightmares and headaches accompanying this (COBRA healthcare for a short transitional period, rollover of 401ks to IRAs and the exhaustive paperwork and research of current and potential tax liabilities now and in future between the USA and UK and tax treaties and all the hedging of my bets that results from my best estimates of what will be… oh you don’t want to know!)

Securing an international accountant
Dealing with a system for banking from afar and any belated refund checks that might appear after I’ve physically left the country
MOVING out
Arranging shipping / transport of personal items (even clothing is heavier than you might think!)


(these are but a few!)

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I wonder what I will do with myself when I arrive in my new country of residence and I wake up one morning to realize that the manic pace of daily life has suddenly ceased?

quietly celebrate, I should think…


… and then start a new to-do list