Contract #4, Let’s do this already!
My last post started out, “Moving to France in 24 days, and long-stay visa”. That was on May 14, and two contracts ago. The funny thing is that there are a lot of people interested in our house, but for reasons way out of our control (nothing to do with us or our home), the sale just keeps falling through for one reason or another. We are now (or most likely will be tomorrow) on contract #4. I think it’s a good sign that the people who want to buy our house are French. They need a car too, so we’re going to throw in the Beetle for good measure (I needed to sell it anyway). Everyone who has been crossing fingers and toes for me, please don’t stop now! This is it; I can feel that this is going to happen now.
In seven days I’ll be leaving on a trip to Europe with my students. I’m leaving François at home with the kids, and he still has to work until June 15. It wouldn’t be very nice of me to leave him with two kids to care for and a whole house to pack, so that’s what I’m going to start working on tomorrow. I guess we will go ahead and reserve the container, get everything ready to load into it, and if it doesn’t work out…. Well if it doesn’t work out then I just have no idea what to think about what the next step should be.
I did get to Chicago last week for my long-stay visa. I was so nervous leaving my passport at the French consulate, knowing that I need it for my trip next week. They pretty much assured me that I’d have it back in time. I sure hope so! Say what you like about French bureaucracy, but I had a great experience once I actually found someone willing to answer my emails. In the course of one day, about ten emails were sent between us. She helped me locate the documents I needed and assured me that when I came to my meeting in Chicago everything would be fine. Guess what? My meeting was scheduled for 10:20. They called my name at 10:10 because I got there a bit early. By 10:14, we’d completely finished and I was out the door.
Now I have to psyche myself into believing that we’re really moving, and that this time next week I’ll be on a flight to France with my students, and I won’t be coming back (not to live here, anyway).
Checklist for the next week
1. Reserve 20-foot container for a date in late June.
2. Pack up everything François and the kids won’t need over the next few weeks and get it ready to ship.
3. Empty my classroom and desk at work.
4. Put finishing details on student tour of Europe.
5. Inform my friends and family that this is really happening and somehow manage to say good-bye (???)
6. Organize a big, huge play date in the park with kids and their friends who they may never see again… That’s going to be rough. BBQ maybe?
7. Quit my job…. No, I’d better wait till after closing to do that one.
8. Get banking in order….401K thing may need to get done after we’ve moved.
9. Purchase one-way flights for François and the kids…. at the last minute just to be sure.
10. Stay calm, cool and collected (this may be the hardest part).
Living in Languedoc 
This is the one, I just know it!
The French people are weasels….. BUT there are two more couples interested in the house. What the heck, we ordered the 20 foot container for the end of June (we can change the date sans penalty). We’re moving to France. That’s it. This house will sell. I’m leaving with my students in 5 days, and until then I’ll be packing boxes and cleaning out my classroom. If we have to come back, well then I’ll sure have a clean classroom and office space! And if you know how to pack boxes, well then you know how to unpack them too. Gotta stay positive 🙂
How are you? What is going on? Miss you!!!
So sorry I have been out of touch!! Just got back from France (no internet at the lovely country home). Yes, we’re back, but we did get to spend two months in the South of France. Our house is STILL on the market. Buyers are sure tough these days, and banks are even tougher. We’re here for the year, until next summer, because the kids are in school and we’re teaching (signed on for another year). Until then…. We’re going to enjoy our time here! We want, we want, we want what we want… But after all, life’s not so bad 🙂 I’ll start posting again! Can’t wait to have a look at your blog, Mr. Tin Man. Hope you had a great summer!