A quick update

Well, we know just a little more about timelines and such, but not too much.  I'm going to fly over the week of January 10 to do the walkthrough of the apartment and get the keys.  That way we can go straight into the apartment when we get there and don't have to wait to do the walkthrough.

I think we've decided to not have a car over there.  We have 2 metro stations within 2 blocks of our apartment.  If we got a car, parking would be a 5 to 10 minute walk away.  The public transportation system in Paris is amazing and we're going to take advantage of it.  It's a year of adventure, right?

As for our actual move date, we're still waiting.  We're trying to get an update on when my work visa will be ready.  My goal is to move the family over there before that time and get settled.  We're checking with the relocation company to make sure we aren't breaking any rules by doing that.  Now I'm just waiting to hear back on that.  Like the last several months... we wait.

For now, here are some other pics of the apartment. 

Here is the main living room.  The spiral stairs in the corner are the only way to get to the "Parent Apartment"

Little man's room/guest room

The young lady's room/room for both kids when there is company

The main living area from the spiral staircase

Paris - The first week

My lovely wife and I left on Monday the 13th for Paris to find a place to live.  It was a fun and crazy week.

We landed at Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday around 8am, expecting a shuttle to pick us up.  However, communication didn't happen between our hotel and the shuttle service.  After about an hour and a half wait, the shuttle arrived.  By the time we got through the Parisian traffice and arrived at our hotel, we missed 2 showings for apartments.  We had a few minutes to check into our room, grab a bite from the market across the street, and head out to look at apartments.  I think we looked at 7 apartments on Tuesday.  We found one, and it is awesome!

We'll be living in the 7th arrondissement on the 4th (technically the 5th) floor of a classic French apartment.  Here is the view from our small balcony.

We have a 15 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, several Metro stations within a couple minute walk, and plenty of shops, markets, butchers, etc. within walking distance.

Since we found an apartment on Tuesday, we spent Wednesday and Thursday walking around the city. We walked to the Arc de Triomphe and then down the Champs-Elysees.  Everything was decorated for Christmas.  It was beautiful.  There were several "Village de Noel"s setup in the city with food, goods, and plenty of vin chaud (hot wine) to keep everyone warm.

Oh... and we also saw that big tower that is famous in Paris.

We spent Thursday wandering around the "new neighborhood", just so that we kind of know what's around when we move.  The next time we're in Paris, we arrive with 2 kids and 2 dogs in tow, so knowing where to get the necessities is key.  Oh... and I got us lost.  I made the blunder of assuming that streets ran at 90 degree angles in Paris.  Not at all.  We ended up about a 20 minute walk away from where we'd intended to go.  In the rain... in mid-30 degree temperatures. 

We flew home on Friday.  It was a great week, exactly what we needed.  We have a place, we know we can survive in the city with limited French language, and we are comfortable.  There are 2 things I've heard about Paris that are completely wrong. First, several people told me the city is dirty.  That is not the case at all.  I'm not saying I've seen the entire city, but I saw a lot and it was far from dirty.  Second, most people thing French people are rude.  I don't think I encountered a rude person all week.  Everyone was extremely nice and helpful.  Hey, they put up with a couple of Americans that really know none of the local language.  How tolerant are we of others coming to the US in that situation?

We still don't have a move date.  Waiting for the details of when my work visa will clear. Hopefully we'll have an answer to a move date soon.

SOLD!

Yep.  The house sold.  It was pretty much out of the blue.  You know how they say that God always has bigger plans for us that we can imagine?  The house is a great example.

We put our house on the market in January.  There was another house in our neighborhood we always loved.  When that house went on the market in January, we put ours on the market.  It seemed right.  That house sold in April.  Ours didn't.  So we waited to see what we should do.  We decided to keep it on the market.

We found another house that we absolutely loved.  Honestly, I think it was perfect.  It had been on the market for 2 1/2 years with no offers.  It sold in September.  Seriously.  A week later is when my boss presented me with the expat opportunity.

Had we been able to buy either of those houses, we wouldn't have taken this opportunity.  In the words of my lovely wife, "It's amazing to see how everything fell into place."

This weekend, the house sold.  It was a couple that twice looked at the house, and twice told us they were going with new construction.  We hadn't heard a word from them in probably 3 weeks.  Then we got an offer.  God is good.

Well, it's time to head to the airport.  We are going to Paris today to find a place to live. 

Hasta la vista!  (Note to self:  start learning French)

It Begins

This is my first post on my first blog ever... how do I begin?  Here's a quick background.

My job keeps me busy, to say the least.  It has also kept me on the road for the last few years, away from my wife and 2 kids.  My company has presented me with an amazing opportunity, though.  I'm going to be an expat in Paris for 2011.  My family and I are very excited.  My lovely wife and I head to Paris on December 13 to look for furnished apartment for a move in early to mid-January.  Once we get back to the US on Dec 17, all we have to do in the next 4 weeks is:

* Get everything in our house packed and moved into storage.  (We're taking clothes and only a few personal items with us)
* Have my work visa approved
* Get the pet passports for our 2 dogs
* Get everything worked through to get our kids out of school
* Celebrate Christmas
* Move to a new continent
* Sell the house????

My goal is to update this blog at least once a week.  I'm sure it'll be more frequently when we start.  I want to use this blog to help me remember all of the adventure we experience in Paris... and beyond. The adventure of life will continue beyond our time in Paris.