So I promised you the BIG news in a separate email.
Although the final dates are not set, the big news is ... we're moving to London.
So... here's the Move to London FAQ!
Q: WHY?
A: I've been offered a position with Apple UK, transferring to the Retail EMEA team. I will be managing new Apple Store telephone system installations as we expand throughout Europe, and I'll be improving the workings of and maintaining telephone systems for existing stores in the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, and Italy.
Q: London! Wow! Really, London?
A: Um, well, not exactly. We are moving to "London" in the same sense that we might tell a Londoner that we live in "San Francisco." We will be living in the London-ish part of England, roughly, but almost certainly not at all within London's (very expensive) city limits. Apple's facility is located just north of Heathrow Airport, which is a good few miles west of the city. We most likely will live somewhere even further west from there: commute distance to Apple, evening-or-weekend-visit distance to London, but less urban and hopefully thriftier. We'd really like to be able to afford a guestroom for all of you!
Q: So if it's an Apple transfer, does that mean that Apple moves you?
A: Yes -- our flights, our belongings, a rental car and first month's lodging is all covered under the relocation agreement.
Q: So are you guys excited?
A: Excited? Yes. Terrified? Yes. Feeling overwhelmed? Also Yes...
Really -- it's an incredible opportunity, and while we are terrified at the thought of uprooting ourselves from our comfortable life over the next two months, we're also very excited. We expect that the next couple of months will pass in a haze of packing when we are not already in a haze of baby-related exhaustion.
Q: So when do you go?
A: At this time, we expect the move will take place in January.
Q: Are you going over there ahead of time to check things out?
A: My visa application is currently in the works, so it will be Michael who makes a trip to scout the area for us between the 5th and 12th of November (he leaves Election Day, which is just as well as he'd be obsessing and not sleeping anyway). His goal is to identify areas where we'd be interested in living after our month of corporate housing expires, narrowing down our options so that we are not searching quite so blindly!
Q: Will Michael be able to work in the UK?
A: We are hoping that my visa comes through with a rider that allows Michael to work as well. We have to wait for my initial visa application to be approved before that happens. We're also investigating getting Michael the right to work independent of my visa.
Q: Will you be selling your house?
A: We haven't decided yet. The tax laws give us three years to make up our mind, and while we probably won't wait that long to decide, it's nice to know that we don't have to move AND sell the house instantly.
Q: Can I do anything to help?
A: You very well might be able to, should you be willing.
First, our weekends are still largely baby-intensive. If someone wanted to put in some time with our lovely daughter, Michael and I could spend time going through boxes in the garage and storage, organizing things in advance of the move.
Second, we have a LOT of spare furniture. If you need, for instance, a dining room set as a long-term loan, at low cost, or as an outright gift, come see us, as I think we have a set or four. We also have more bookcases than we know what to do with, and since we will probably NOT be moving some those to the UK, many will be up for grabs. One Bonde unit is still in the garage in the original IKEA box, unassembled.
We may also end up with some items with plugs that just won't work with UK current. Ask us.
Third, if you are an organizational-type and want to put in some time helping us deplete a storage locker, we would really appreciate it. At this point, we're willing to pay in wine, which we probably can't move overseas with us. *sniff*
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