Only 37 more days

We have been busy little beavers the last couple of days getting things ready. First we went to REI and bought rain jackets in preparation for the monsoon season that will greet us when we arrive in Taiwan. This is Jeremiah's... mine looks similar (but is not exactly the same - we are not one of those couples that dresses alike!)

We also went to AAA to get international driving permits (no test required) that will allow us to drive for 6 months before we get Taiwanese driving licenses. Side note: I would not recommend Walgreens for passport photos.

Finally, today we drove up to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Seattle to sort out our resident visas. We could have done it through the mail, but the process was a little confusing and the website no help at all. Screwing up our visas was not something we wanted to risk and the drive was pretty quick. Once there we each filled out a form, wrote a check and handed over our passports. They will mail it all back to us in a few days.

Another trip to the pharmacy

We are all set now for shots and prescriptions... I hope. We each have 4 bottles; two for Taiwan (and one of them was the typhoid that we finished today!) and two for traveling in other countries in SE Asia.

Mickey Mouse, here we come!

What a better way to get our last bit of American culture than going to Disneyland?! I wish I could take credit for the idea, but Jeremiah deserves all accolades in this department. In fact, he did a great job surprising me with tickets. It started with a text leading me to a note. From there I was taken on a 2 hour scavenger hunt through Portland (Vita Cafe, Powells, Jake's Restaurant, El Nutri taco cart, Crazy 8 and finally the Disney Store) with an envelope at each location filled with a rhyming letter giving me clues to where I needed to go next. I finally found him at the Disney Store with tickets in hand. Pretty amazing, right? He's awesome!

So we head out June 29th for 5 days. I can't wait!!

Summer break started for Allison!

Today is my first day of summer vacation! It brought mixed emotions. My school provided me with many things this year - challenging students, new learning, lots of change. Yesterday as I pulled away I felt like I was hit with a truck. I find comfort in my job, the people I work with and the kids. I'm leaving this for something that is new and different, and while I'm so excited to be doing it, that first step away from my comfort zone was hard. No feelings of regret or wanting to change my mind, just overwhelmed by the unknown. I'm remembering that my therapist friend at school told me there would be something wrong with me if I wasn't nervous :)

I'm also remembering these:
"To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all." - Peter McWilliams
"Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content." - Lewis L'Armour


In other news we just got back from getting our first Hep. A shot and typhoid pills. Apparently they aren't doing flu shots anymore so we'll have to get that when we get to Taiwan where it is flu season year round.

Apartment Pictures

We're open to the public

I've just made our blog public to all (and have just emailed the address to my entire staff) so we are official! To our new readers I hope you enjoy and drop us a note every once in awhile. We will start posting more frequently in August when we actually make it to Taiwan :)

Excitement with a side of panic attack

We've been moving forward on our preparations and with each step our move to Taiwan is becoming more and more real. We have sold our house (yay!), and in the process sold, gave away, donated most of our belongings. Our material possessions have been reduced to a few boxes - which is actually much more liberating than I thought it would be. Our new apartment will be a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom and I vow to not collect so much stuff that is never used again (remind me of this later please!).

School is just about done for the both of us and then we have summer to visit family and get our ducks in a row before we fly out. More excited then ever, with the occasional wave of panic.

59 days and flight info

and... it's almost summer break! (see: sailing, traveling, swimming, sleeping in, movies, and relaxing)

here is the flight info:

until next time!