Last Day of Internet Broadband

Today Virgin are cutting off our broadband connection and collecting their equipment.

That should curtail my online activities as I will be left with a pay as you go SIM card!

When I will be back on broadband is in the hands of the Spanish Internet providers and as we don’t arrive in Mallorca until Wednesday then my entries will be a bit hit and miss. Crikey it will be like losing a part of my anatomy!

So until I am cut off I will be online arranging the sending of my Xmas cards via Moonpig, checking the activity on Facebook and basically just doing all last minute things that I can think that I need to do.

Offline there is still plenty of packing to do, the last bit of washing to get done, taking apart the wardrobes, beds etc, drying out the white goods that are going into storage like washing machine, fridge freezer, dishwasher etc so they don’t go mouldy in storage and a host of last minute other things that I remember as we go around taking apart the last 30 years of our lives.

Tomorrow I will ring my mum at our allotted hour via Skype hooked up to a hotspot created by our mobiles and continue with the packing.

Sunday will be spent again with last minute packing, dismantling our bed (we will sleep on the bed settee) and testing out whether we can get everything in the car for our onward journey and first few months in rented accommodation.

In-between all of that I have to find the time to go through the house cleaning as I want to leave it in good condition before the first time buyers start their new lives together in our house.

Still so much to do!

It is all so very surreal and I still don’t think it has sunk in and probably won’t for a while yet!

Wish me well on my journey and I hope to report back soon…

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Very Emotional Day

Yesterday was a very emotional day with friends that I have worked with for over 12 years taking a champagne lunch at the top restaurant/bar of the gherkin in London.

Flowers, chocolates and gifts were given and the last photos taken of our ‘normal’ working lives together. For now although still working for the company I will be working from many miles away and the only time we will get to chat will be via Skype or email.

The working day ended in tears as everyone clamoured to give me a hug goodbye and to say how much they would miss me!

That in itself was enough to turn on the waterworks as I am not used to shows of affection like that and really couldn’t comprehend how someone like me who sits there quietly just getting on with my work should have received such a reaction.

Low self esteem says my hubby. I don’t know, all I do know is that I will miss having friends around!

Thanks to everyone for making my send off so good.

Last Day at Work

This morning I awoke with the realisation that I am not going to have to put my alarm on for 5.30 in the morning again.

This is the last morning that I will have to walk to the bus stop and wait in the dark and cold.

That is more than enough to bring a smile to my face!

More later 😉

Sad, Emotional & Scared

Woke up this morning and looked around our house. It is sad, emotional and scary. So many years and so many memories.

That’s all to say today.

Week of Goodbyes

This week is full of goodbyes.

From lunches to coffees this week is saying goodbye to everyone. It is limbo time where I have mixed feelings. Sadness at leaving everyone, fear of the unknown, the realisation that all my friends and family will be here in the UK while I am miles away, coupled with the excitement and the feeling that I no longer belong where I am.

My home is no longer a home – already post is coming for the new owners. I don’t belong at work now as I am not included in new situations because I won’t be there. Yet I have no new home to go to, just rented accommodation. My future is unsure….

Strange place to be in!

Scared, excited & emotional

It has definitely been an emotional week and no doubt the next week will be more of the same.

Naturally the funeral of my nephew on Friday was bound to make everyone hypersensitive and for me it has highlighted how short life can be. After bringing to the surface our emotions I am left feeling a tad sensitive and feeling as if I am leaving too.

I awoke this morning thinking of how I am giving up all that is familiar and replacing it with all that is unfamiliar. Today our children and grandchildren are coming round for the last of our family Christmas (I know it’s early) get togethers in our house that we have lived in practically all their lives.

Even our house is now foreign to us. We are surrounded by cardboard boxes and all the little things that used to make it our home have been packed away. My wardrobe is almost empty and the cupboards are bare. Our house is no longer our home and I have yet to know where our new home will be. All I know is that we are staying in a friends apartment many miles away with nothing familiar around us.

For a moment or two I wonder if turning our lives upside down is the right thing to do. My hand started to shake as I poured a cup of tea and I know that I am having a slight panic attack.

Is it right to be scared and afraid of the unknown? Perhaps that is the more sensible approach. After all I am not going blindly into this new life, I am aware that there may be problems. I know that I will miss my family. I know that amid the excitement there will be times of tears and doubts. Yes, perhaps it is better to feel this way for then I know that I am not going into it with rose tinted glasses.

Yes today will be another emotional day. Followed by a week of working hard at work to try and get everything done coupled with goodbye lunches.

I think the next seven days are going to be the longest, scariest and most extremely emotional week of my life!

I admit it I’m scared, excited and very emotional!

Exchanged Contracts

Today is the day of no return. Contracts are now exchanged with completion for Monday 26th November.

Now the new stage in our lives begins 🙂

With less than two weeks to moving day the days will be packed with me getting as much work as possible completed before the move and evenings and weekends will see us packing and notifying everyone concerned.

First task is to book the ferry from Barcelona which I will do as soon as I get home. Will seem strange booking a one way ticket!

Almost Moved

Almost there! Our estate agent phoned yesterday to tell us that the survey was fine with no problems.

Our buyer has sent the last signed documents back to his solicitor and he is arranging for the transfer of the deposit.

In her estimation we should hear from our solicitor early next week with a date for exchange and completion. We had to send an email to our solicitor with our requirements.

We are happy to move as soon as our buyer is ready but our only wish is that we complete at the beginning part of the week to give us enough time to get down through France and to Barcelona to pick up the ferry before the weekend rush!

Being that we have a first time buyer who lives just up the road with his parents at the moment, he has already said that for the day of move he will fit in with us. Hopefully then I should be booking up the ferry as soon as I have confirmation of the date.

Ordered some more bubble wrap but it hasn’t arrived yet which has held up the packing a bit as we have some fragile items that need protecting!

Sim Cards, phones and Mifi

As the transition has to be almost seamless with regard to my work and not knowing how long it will take to organise a broadband contract I have purchased 3 SIM cards from Spain.

I had to give date of births and passport numbers and they are pay as you go.

There is a sim card for my phone, a sim for my husband’s phone and a sim for my little mifi. Fantastic little thing that can put up to 5 items online by wifi over the SIM card.

Now this is for emergency/absolutely essential use only but at least it means I can get online and log into my work emails.

My understanding is that to get a Vodafone router and contract I will need a Spanish bank account, NIE and Spanish address.

The address is the only thing that I have at the moment as the other two cannot be done until I am in Spain.

Hence my need for an emergency backup!

Survey Done

Well the structural survey has been done and if the surveyor was honest with us then all was well.

In fact he couldn’t understand himself why a survey had been done on a house the age of ours.

Next step I suppose is for the solicitors to get together to arrange exchange and completion. The buyer was talking with his solicitor about hoping to be in by the 23rd of this month. I can’t see that happening and they have to give us time to get the removal firm booked, ferry and train booked etc. the ferry is not transferable so I cannot book that until we have actually exchanged. The minimum time between exchange and completion must be at least two weeks.

From our point of view we don’t want a Friday completion as it would get us down to Barcelona too late for our ferry. For comfort sake we would prefer to complete at the beginning of the week and definitely no later than Wednesday.

Oh well we will see.