Thank you so much for the well wishes, everyone. I’m very excited about the move, but also stressed and a little nervous. I appreciate you letting me know that you made it over to my new blog. I was a little afraid that I would lose you all in the site change. Don’t forget to update your feedreaders and links.
Now that it’s out in the open that we’re moving, I’ve been getting a few questions about it. Hopefully this will help.
Belgium Books
All about Belgium
- The entire country is about the size of Maryland.
- The northern part speaks Dutch and the southern part speaks French.
- Brussels is the capital and both languages are officially spoken there.
- Belgium is bordered by The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea.
- On a train from Brussels, Paris is 1:45 hours away, London is 2:30 hours away, and Amsterdam is 2:45 hours away.
All about Our Move
- When do you leave?
We’re planning on spending Christmas week with my family in Texas, and will head out from there around the 29th. - How long will you be in Belgium?
We’ll be there for at least 2 years, but it is basically open-ended. - Where will you live?
We haven’t quite figured this out yet. Thomas’ job will be in Mons, but it’s a small, quiet town, so we’re thinking about living in Brussels. The downside is that Thomas’ commute would be about an hour, which is what he currently does here in Atlanta. - Do you speak French or Dutch?
Nope, not really. I studied French from elementary school through college, so I’m hoping it will come back to me. Thomas can recognize some Dutch words from his Swedish background, but he’s currently taking an Intro to French class. - Will you be able to work there?
Because Thomas is an EU citizen (Swedish), I will be able to work there. If he was American, I would not. It will take a couple of months for the paperwork to go through for me, and I’ll need some time to learn the language. In the meantime, I get to work on my hobbies – travel, photography, and sewing. - Are you selling your house?
Because of the current market, I don’t think we’ll be able to sell our house right now. Instead, we’re going to try to rent it out, and hopefully the market will improve in time. - What about Clover?
She’s been living with my parents in NC since July, when we went on our first Belgium trip. After we confirmed that we were going to do this, we decided to have her stay there. We could take her with us, but with the travel we’re hoping to do, it will be easier without her. It’s hard to not have her snuggles everyday, but she loves being with her sister (my parents have her littermate) and my parents are taking good care of her — though we love to see more photos of her. :) - What do your parents think of all this?
Maybe my mom will leave a comment on this one, but I think they’re excited for me. They’ve already mentioned coming over to visit and have been very supportive and encouraging. I think they see it like I do – a great opportunity at a great time in our lives – though like parents do, they worry about us too. - What are you doing with all of your stuff?
We’ll take a lot with us, but since we’re going from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment, we’ve been trying to downsize and declutter. Some of our furniture has gone on Craigslist, we’ve sold a ton of books, and we’ll put some in storage. We’re really looking at this as an opportunity to live simply. - What about your bus?
We’re not able to take any vehicles, so the bus will be going into storage. My brother is going to take my Honda, and Thomas will be selling his motorcycle. - Can I come visit?
Yes, please! Just let us know when you want to come. We have loved having visitors in Atlanta, and I’m hoping for just as many in Belgium. At the least, we can provide couch-space and tour around with you.
So, did I forget anything? Got any other questions for me?
Related posts:
sometime in Nov can we get together?
Maybe we can meet in the middle or you guys can head out our way (we do have an air mattress if you want to spend the night)
debbie´s last blog post..moving hassels
Congratulations on your move! I’ll look forward to catching up with your adventures in Belgium.
I now see that the bus is going into storage. If you need someone to keep it , we’re here, but we’re in Va.
amy (sew~amy)´s last blog post..I’ve been spoiled
hello – came across your blog thanks to the Christmas exchange 08 post on Sew Liberated, which I hope to join.
I don’t live in Belgium ! I’m French living in France, but it hit me when I saw Mons because Mons is what they call a twin town (twinning, various exchanges…etc) to the French town where I live ;) this had to make me think : small world !
I love to meet new people and I love the US, so if you ever get the chance to visit Mons’ twin, contact me for coffee !!!
I hope you’ll be fine there and happy with the move
(not easy to downsize I guess !).
oh and… even smaller world : we’re going to Sweden (for the first time) the week before Christmas ;)
SierraMoon´s last blog post..la (grande) pause
SierraMoon – Thanks for stopping by. It’s nice to meet a bloggers from the other side of the ocean. It helps make this move seem not so big. :) If you need any suggestions on things to see in Sweden, let me know. I’ve been there both in Summer and Winter, and my husband lived there for a few years. We’d be happy to pass on some tips.
Dallas and Thomas,
We are so happy for you and a bit envious of your adventurous spirits. We’ll toast your journey ahead and hope you know that we will miss you both.
Judy, Ed, and Maisy (woof woof)
You are going to have such an adventure! I’m so excited for you. I think you should consider living in Mons. Being able to have virtually no commute is my dream. And living in a small, friendly community might make it easier to acclimatize and enjoy the wonderous outdoors. Just my two cents. :o) I am so looking forward to ‘watching’ your journey through your blog!!
sohobutterfly´s last blog post..How do I love this woman? Let me count the ways…
Wow, this sounds like so much fun!! I’m very happy for you!! :)