Early Days

Well, here we are leaving our house on January 27th 2012. The whole move went like clockwork - which we didnt expect but were very pleased about. The company hired to do the dirty work for us were highly professional (albeit Fulham football fans and rather reluctant to pack the Spurs memorabilia). Annie loved checking out the container when it arrived and even got the chance to sit in the drivers seat and toot the horn. Ah, how our neighbours will really be glad to see us leave! As the taxi arrived to take us all to the hotel I took one last look around the house and remembered wonderful times, started to get ever-so-slightly blurry eyed, and then thought about my family all sitting waiting in the taxi to start our new life in California and ran out of the door without looking back!

The container arrives to collect our stuff

Annie checks out the empty container

All of our belongings...we filled a 40ft!

And on January 28th we flew! All very exciting, it felt like a holiday - but with far more luggage! 14 cases, a pram, a car seat and a cot - checking in was fun!! "Any more cases sir?"

And then we boarded the flight, enjoying an incredible four seater Club Class experience.

Despite 11 hours on the plane, it was a great time. The children enjoyed it and ate well, we all managed some sleep and the cabin staff made a great fuss of Tom. And we landed to beautiful warm sunshine, a wonderful feeling walking out of the airport, double doors opening and the Californian hills in front of us and warm sun on our faces.

Annie ready to hit the streets of  San Fran on our first outing, just after we landed

Our apartment for six weeks whilst we house hunt

Our first few weeks have consisted of us finding a car to rent, getting to grips with the roads (!!), walking to the local parks and shops - we love Whole Foods!! Buying new electrical items like hairdryers, blenders, kettles, viewing houses (expensive, not many of them around, eek!), opening bank accounts, applying for social security numbers and getting to know people. I've found a wonderful church in San Mateo through which I've already met some lovely families and Mums, and we've also signed Annie up to a gym class so she can have her own thing to do each week, which she is really enjoying. The weather here is very warm, we've had to buy Tom a new summer wardrobe, and I wish we'd brought more summer clothes ourselves. The Californians are still wrapped up warm - this is their winter after all!

Tom and Annie rolling around, Tom has started to crawl!

Shopping at Target for electrical items

Our first meal out - Italian meatballs all the way!

The scooter and bike were the highlights of the air freight delivery when it arrived for Annie.

The private cinema, on site within the apartment complex, where we watched Wizard of Oz with a bucket of popcorn!

Dan's job is going well and the biggest novelty of the whole experience is being able to enjoy time with him over breakfast before he leaves for work at 8.45am and then hearing him put the key in the door to come home as we're having tea.  What a change from the London commute and long, dark days.  It was his birthday on his second day at the office, so we celebrated with a yummy cake and freshly squeezed fruit juice for breakfast (our new juicer c/o Target!). Our air freight arrived on the 8th Feb and it was like Christmas opening boxes of toys and clothes - our grater, coffee filter machine and potato peeler among the highlights for us!

Birthday Breakfast

Birthday Cake!

So, a wonderful start to our adventure. It still feels like a holiday. And only a few 'Loul' mishaps! I tried for a week to clear the plug in our sink, rubber gloves and drain cleaner at the ready - horrified that I'd already blocked the rented apartment's sink! And then Dan showed me a switch on the side of the wall that operates the waste unit and it was suddenly unblocked - oops! And I had to ask my friends in the UK where I put the detergent in a top loading washing machine. All part of the adventure eh? We are already missing Bisto gravy, oxo cubes, Marmite, washing capsules for clothes and aerosol deodorant - and of course family and friends.

So our next few weeks will consist of us continue to house hunt, with only a few weeks remaining on our temporary accommodation, buying a car, getting to know the local area and visiting some of the recommended restaurants and parks, and our container being delivered on March 1st - St. David's Day! Surely a good sign??!