Kathy Goes Kiwi

Today, 90 days before we officially begin our adventure, I submitted our visa applications. Again. We first submitted our packets in November (partly to get ahead of the rush we expected after the election and partly just to get it done), but they were rejected, because it was too far in advance. So much for planning.

TTS, the company who processes New Zealand visas, told us to resubmit at the end of April or beginning of May, but that was waaaaaay too late for our comfort. Hopefully they won’t send them back again, only for us to turn around in a week to submit them again.

Slowly but surely we’re checking things off our list of things to be done before leave. Visas were numero uno, I’m not going to lie. We also need to sort out a rental agreement of sorts for the girls who are going to live in our house while we’re gone, we need to check on health insurance while we’re there, car insurance while we’re there, clean out closets, get the house ready for someone else to inhabit it, and clean out the garage – mostly because it’s full of so much crap – but also because the girls will probably need to store some of their stuff there. And pack. Figure out how to go from the surface of the sun here in Columbia in July to a southern hemisphere rainy winter in the space of a couple days.

But it’s crazy exciting. At least if you’re an adult in this house. The girls aren’t fully on board, and honestly, I’m not sure they ever will be. I KNOW in hindsight, they will be so glad to have had the experience, but while we’re in the middle of it? Yeah, I’m not convinced they’ll be converts… Gracie had a Skype interview with her new school principal the other day. She told me *in no uncertain terms* that she did not want to do it and came to the dining room table WRAPPED IN A POOP EMOJI BLANKET. Because THAT is how you make a great first impression and convince someone to let you into a competitive and prestigious school… We compromised that she could cover her legs with it (OBVIOUSLY under threat of grave bodily harm if one fuzzy poop emoji showed its big-eyed brown face above the table). Here’s a picture if you can’t wrap your head around what a poop emoji blanket might be. HUGE shout out to Molly, Gracie’s BFF for this gem.

But the interview ended with an official offer being made, so now both girls have a place to go to school and home schooling is *officially* off the table. WHEW.

And now for the rest of it…