Off and running

Yesterday the application was posted, today it arrived at the Australian High Commission. I'm guessing I'll hear from them next week!

Why have I been quiet..?

It's because I've been doing stuff! Everything is now pretty much sorted apart from the official certified copy of my birth certificate and Passport, which will both be sorted out tomorrow. And then it'll all go in the post on Tuesday once I've taken an electronic copy of the whole thing. It must be a good couple of hundred pages long with all the documenation and supporting evidence - it's just as well we're both really anal about keeping all our bills, bank/credit card statements, phone bills etc etc.

To say I'm getting excited now is an understatement. Later this week my credit card will be the best part of £600 poorer (the cost of the application fee) but I'm hoping it'll be the best money I've ever spent.

Talked to Nic in Melbourne the other week, and it's great to hear that her move over there has worked out so well, and that gives me a lot of hope for not feeling too homesick. It'll be great to have a friend who works in the same industry as me, is in a very similar situation, and I know outside of Zoe's family and friends.

Oh, and I also told my my housemates today.

Ramblings

Originally I was thinking I'd be out in Australia by the beginning of June at the latest. But that was about a month ago when I was expecting to have the paperwork in by the end of February. And now it's not looking like it'll be the 3rd week in March at the earliest. Given that they quote anything between 3-12 weeks for a visa to be processed, I guess I just have to wait until the application goes in and hopefully they can give me some kind of indication as to how long mine specifically will take. And I'm not really going to book flights etc unti I have some idea as to what that date will be. Just like I won't seriously approach companies, recruitment agencies or whatever until I know when I will be available. Obviously I'm doing research right now and have made a few preliminary enquiries...but I can't do much more on that until I have a few more hard and fast plans.

If the Visa takes more like the upper range of the time period they quote then we'll be talking early July, which could mean I go to Glastonbury as a "last thing I do in the UK". And as for my bonus - it gets paid on the 26th May. I've said before that it's not that much of a priority because of the Aunt Kay inheritance money, but if staying an extra two or three weeks gave me an extra money to pay for this whole expensive business, I'd be crazy not to - it's over AU$4000!

I'm just thinking out loud...I want to be in Australia v soon (I actually want to be there now. Or last month or something) but I don't want to rush out without having planned things properly. I want everything about this move to be a big success and as such I'm not going to do things by halves. If my visa does get granted within three weeks, then great and I will definitely be out way before Glastonbury, but I have to make plans to see everyone and tie up all of my loose ends here - I can't just run off overnight. I don't even know how much flights are a short notice...

Phonecalls

Sunday is normally trans-continental phonecall day, and usually takes place either side of Greys Anatomy on Australian TV. Zoe starts her new job on Wednesday, and now that she actually has a proper job, she feels a lot happier about filling in the form. Not that a temp job would have disqualified us or anything...but it just looks better this way.

I also spoke to Nic this morning, who is an old friend from work in London and who emigrated to Melbourne last Novemember to be with her Aussie boyfriend. She always talked with an bit of an Aussie twang, but she's already getting (or should that be 'gedding') lazier with her pronounciation, especially the t's. But yeah, it makes me even more excited and less scared to know that there is a friend out there who works in the same industry and is in the same situation as me. We shall be drinking buddies again no doubt.