Immigration and first few days

Well, here we are. I'm currently sat in Piedmont, AL, wondering how we're finally here and reflecting on the past few days. One thing I can say is that it is hot and in America we only complain about the heat when its 100% humidity, and like 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's currently only 93F (34C) at 7pm. Sitting on a leather car seat is horrendous!

So no complaining about the heat. It's actually causing half the country to declare drought and crops are being sold off because they are not producing food.

Anyway, as you now know, we are safe and well. We've had a few days of acclimation and adjusting. I am currently waking up at 6am thinking it's normal. Hopefully I'll get over that and be back to sleeping til 9/10am easily!

Immigration was surprisingly easy. We arrived at Philadelphia after the shortest 7.5 hour flight in a while. I really enjoyed The Hunger Games movie, and if anyone wants to send me the first book then I'll probably snap it up in a minute! When you arrive you go through secondary screening, which is basically handing over the papers that the Embassy has on you to the government in America and they process the papers, and tell you to be on you merry way, which we did.

We arrived in Atlanta a little late due to queuing on the runway and storms over Washington D.C. That was a good flight. Tiny 6 across plane, but no stomach churning turbulence.


The last few days have been a blur of family and friends, old students and just now, new excited students wondering where y'all lived and stopping rumors that we have a child/ren.


We are happy, we are getting settled.

As a side, I'm watching my husband do the thing he loves the most, and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

And so we leave...

We are leaving for the States on Friday.

We've been in this process for a year now, from talking and thinking, to paperwork and money spent, interview and queues, more paperwork and a wait for the post to arrive. A whole year of life changing things have happened, leaving St Hugh's, moving home, and various other things that are family based. I'm most excited about all the babies that will be arriving over the next few months. None of which are mine, it's not that kind of blog post!

So here it is, my horrible visa photo.

I don't photograph well went I can't smile, at least that's my excuse.

We shall get on a plane and leave just days before the Olympics makes living in London hard and will have to watch any British success via buffering BBC world.

I'm most excited about arriving with no fixed leaving date, settling in and knowing that I have a permanent English-American translator by my side, who has sat and listened while I have been scared about leaving my family.

L-R Nan, Mike, Jess, Robert, Me, Liz, Andy, Mum and Dad & Brody in front.

Everyone on Mum's side (minus 4)

Boys - Dad, Robert, Mike, Adam, Graham, Andy 

Girls - Me, Mum, Jess, Liz, Joy, Tasha, Kerrie.

Every one on Dad's side of the family.

We've all grown up so much, and now we say goodbye. But not forever and with trips planned.