Checking things off the list

Today I have been working on a few admin items to prepare for our move:

• Schedule last doctor and hair appointments
• Cancel my auto refill on my bus card
• Cancel my auto refill on my highway toll pass card
• List a few items on Craigslist
• Working on a list of items we will need to purchase before moving

Items we still need to do:

• Cancel gym memberships 
• Cancel cell phone- or figure out how to keep our phone number (maybe a prepay phone, so that we have a phone when we come home
• Figure out how to pay loans abroad
• Order contacts and glasses
• Determine how to get prescriptions abroad
• Sell Car
• Apply for Visas'
• Set up bank account in London
• Change permanent address to our parents' house for administrative purposes (US banking, loans, mail ect.)
• Obtain copies of all medical records to bring to London
• Give certified copies of important information to our parents: SS Cards, Passports, Visas, marriage certificates, birth certificates
• Power of Attorney- for both sets of parents and spouse. Make copies for all parties.
• Make a checklist of all packing boxes and what goes in each of them

Ok... and there are a lot more things I need to do besides the ones listed above. But at least Brett is the type A in our relationship and he thrives at administrative stuff. 

For example, literally the day after we returned from our honeymoon, I had a 30 page folder filled with information on changing my name. He even included "sign here" tabs. Then all I had to do was go to the SS office and get a new drivers license. I thought that was a pretty good trade off: Brett preparing the documents and me losing my last name. 

I'm going to move this post over into a tab so that I can keep track of what I can cross off my list and what I need to add to it. Hopefully this post can help future expats preparing to move. 

On a more fun note- Brett and I, and a couple of our best friends, went to the USA vs. Panama football (soccer) game at Soldier Field on Sunday. It was a pretty chilly day for the middle of July, (~65 F) but I just kept telling myself that the weather in Chicago this summer is preparing me for the weather in London. This was my first experience at a professional soccer game and it definitely got us more excited about our move. We were thinking about being Manchester United fans- how does that sound? 

 The picture with Brett and I is kind of fun.... Both of our office buildings are included in the picture. The short red building over my left shoulder is my building (CNA building) and the tallest white rectangular building on the right side of the picture is Brett's building (Aon Center). One of my favorite things about the location of our offices is that Brett and I will often sit in the parks downtown and eat lunch together. We are hoping to work close to each other in London as well, maybe even the same building if I get a position with his firm.

That's all for now!

<3 Mary