London Bound

Andy and I are booked to visit London January 9th - 15th. We will visit schools and look at housing options. I am really excited again. The panic has subsided. Everything will work out because it has to.

Panic Sets In!

We are moving ahead with the plan to move to London. I wake up at 6 a.m. every morning in a panic. What if we can't get the kids into school? What if we don't get a visa? What if we can't find a place to live? What if I can't cope without a support system? What if I am ruining my kids lives forever? What are we doing? Is it too late to back out? How can I do this? How can I NOT do this? What if I unravel my entire life here and then it doesn't work out? What if, what if, what if............
AHHHHHHHH.

Brilliant

Here is what I have done so far:

Contacted our old neighbor from South Africa who lives in the suburbs of London and asked her for recommendations of schools. She promptly responded with a very comprehensive list of all the Jewish schools in the area.
Contacted a friend here who move here from London and had a long conversation about how things work there and which suburbs to consider.
Called every Jewish school in the London metropolitan are.
E-mailed someone at a Masorti shul. I have not gotten a response yet.

Here is what I have learned:
The Jewish schools in London are part of the government run schools. They call them something, thought I can't remember what. Independent maybe? But there is nothing independent about them. They are state schools. They are all full now and forever.

There is a formality in the UK. Even e-mails are formal. Mr./Mrs. etc. I have already found myself changing my name to Mrs. Bokor, as it seems easier when dealing with things related to the kids.

We can't find a place to live until we find a school.

I felt I was running into brick walls at every turn until today. I contacted a relocation specialist who deals with education. He e-mailed me a lot of information that would have saved me a lot of time if I had gotten it one week ago.

I have put in inquiries into several private schools that look like good options. All 3 kids would be on one campus and they appear to be accustomed to dealing with relocations.

Now the big question is if we go after the Israel trip in July or if we try and go sooner. I have a hard time imagining pulling the kids in the middle of this year. Andy has a hard time imagining traveling without me and the kids for 6 months. Both scenarios have major downsides. I have to stay focused on the upside: the adventure of a lifetime!!!

Oh, and the title of this entry is brilliant - because in the calls I have made - I hear that said. "Brilliant". Don't hear that sprinkled into conversation in Chicago very often. It is stuck in my head.

Backing up

Many months ago, I suggested that if an opportunity presented itself for our family to relocate to London, I would pursue it. Two weeks ago, this opportunity presented itself when Andy said he could move to London. Suddenly, my fantasy of moving abroad is a real possibility.