On the Move

It is official! We are on the move, and not before time.
What a difference it makes, having a date to work towards. We now have a date for Warren's interview at the American Embassy which should, all going well, result in him taking home his extended visa.
We also have an 'exit NZ' date, with our flights to the USA booked and paid for. We purchased fares that allow us to change the travel date if necessary, in case of last minute hitches to our plans. We don't anticipate any, but you never know!
We are now setting about making plans for the next 5 weeks.

Having obtained the necessary approval to stay in our rented accommodation until three days before we leave NZ, we can  now prepare for the rest of the time. I am sure the 5 weeks will go very fast, with so much to do.
The first order of business has been achieved with the listing of the car for sale. This gives us plenty of time to sell, and if we don't, then we have a back-up plan in place.
Friends have offered accommodation for the night prior to leaving Tauranga, and it will be good to spend that time with them.
Next week Warren has his Medical for the visa and that will be done in one day, in Auckland. We will take that opportunity to visit with family both in Auckland and Whangarei. It will mean we are away for four days, but we are looking forward to that. There, another week taken care of!

That visit to Auckland also means we will have to pack the car with as much as we can to transport  to the Lock-up. I have mentioned before that the lock-up needs some re-packing in order to  fit everything in, so we can do that at the same time.

We will be left with the furnishings that come with the 'furnished' apartment and a few other assorted items that will need to be transported on our final trip north. It might be a bit like camping, for a couple of weeks, but it will mean less to transport, should we sell the vehicle (Toyota Van) quickly.
Our contingency plan on the vehicle, should we sell in the near future, is to rent a car for the time we have left.
Right now, I feel like taking a nap, so I will do just that. More later!

More of the same...

Just when you think you have things pegged with the NVC (National Visa Center, USA), they throw a curve ball. Instead of regularly getting mail from them on Tuesdays, we didn't get any for two Tuesdays, but one arrived around 11am on Friday a week ago. We now know to call the attached number almost straight away. This doesn't mean you get to talk to anyone straight away, but usually we wait no more than 35 mins.

The young man we spoke to was intelligent and knew the process. He was also apologetic about 'This is a Government Department, things take time". We knew this, but it sure helps to hear someone say it.:)

We now just get on with our daily routine and don't worry too much whether we get mail from the NVC or not. They should have everything they need now, so the only mail worth waiting for is the interview date.