by A few months ago, we tried to write a blog post, but we were totally clueless about so many aspects of the trip. We couldn’t put our thoughts into words.
With a bit of hindsight, some decisions made, and answers finally coming to a few of our questions, things are much easier now!
So, as mentioned in the last post, Plans change… constantly!, the departure date, duration, and itinerary have been modified several times!
After a year, where are we on our pre-trip task list?
The Green Card process is moving very slowly… Errors here, missing documents there, signatures everywhere, repeated changes of law firms delaying the whole process! AAAHHH!!!
We received the Canadian citizenship document for our youngest, who was born in the United States.
We’re doing some renovations (plumbing, electrical, etc.) to prepare for selling our house. But as soon as one thing gets fixed, something else breaks. It’s an endless cycle!!!
We’ve also spent several months trying to declutter our belongings: selling, throwing away, or donating them. Robin is in full-on “Marie Kondo power” mode!
We’re trying to plan the budget for the trip…! Not an easy task. Robin has basically become a finance expert. He’s putting together a bunch of strategies that will definitely help us during the trip. (Article coming soon!)
We’re starting to put together the gear list for the trip: Osprey backpacks, microfiber towels, practical clothing, compression bags, etc. We went to a local outdoor store to compare prices with Amazon.
Isabelle’s parents agreed to take care of our dog Poochy while we travel. Now we just need to find a place for our cats, because we’d like to have them back when we return.
Since January 2019, we’ve taken four flights with the kids. It was their first time, and they were fantastic. It gave us a boost of motivation for the RTW trip knowing they loved their plane experience! 🙂
Right now the most complicated part isn’t planning the trip—it’s preparing for after the trip. We’re trying to figure out where to settle post-RTW.
Our situation is more than unusual. We’re expats, and we still don’t know if we’ll get the Green Card in time or if the delays will keep piling up.
No Green Card = we can’t return to the U.S. without a TN work permit, which complicates things. We won’t have the flexibility we’re looking for when choosing where to live next.
Returning to Canada is less appealing: lower salaries, way-too-cold weather (!), etc. California has made us intolerant to cold!
We want to settle for several years in a calm and welcoming city with excellent schools for our little ones. Texas is at the top of our list for now.
This uncertainty is truly scary, but it also gives us flexibility for our future. And who knows where the journey will guide us afterward! Our instincts have rarely led us wrong, so we’ll trust them once again!
