Oh my gosh. This is really happening. We are exactly one month out from leaving! That is insane. For those of you wondering about the Wheels Up reference above, it references the wheels going up on the plane (during take-off). Yet another term that I needed to be educated on for my new life! Send us good vibes over the next month, we still have so much shopping, packing and prepping to do before we’re ready to get on the plane. I honestly would rather be planning another wedding than completing our to-do list for Manila. It’s been surprisingly frustrating thus far. We’re hanging in there though. Stay tuned for updates throughout the month! Here’s a sampling of what we have left to purchase:
- 200 cans of Chef Boyardee Ravioli (my guilty pleasure)
- 150 Vanilla Caribou granola bars (again, for me!)
- 48 jars of Newman’s Sockarooni Sauce (for me – are you seeing a trend?)
- An etiquette book
- Heavy-duty rain gear
- 5 Surge protectors
- 300 rolls of toilet paper
- Diet Coke – we’re still debating how much I get to bring! Nick is caving a bit more each week…
Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Today’s to-do list includes hiring an attorney and tax person (who specialize in foreign service familes). We need to finalize our permanent place of domicile for tax purposes, get a will, do a power of attorney, and create medical directives. What fun! :) So many new things I’m learning…
Can you buy some of that in Manila?
I bet it is more expensive though.
Do you ship stuff over in a shipping container or take with you on the plane? Sounds so exciting and nerve racking. I am jealous. Great Blog by the way… I love what you did with your wedding features. – Karolanne
Yeah- We’re still researching what’s available there before purchasing. American products have spotty availability and are more expensive. I know I’m probably overdoing it, but I don’t want to feel unprepared for our first tour. I’m sure we’ll scale way back next time. It will all go over on a boat and get there about two months after us. Thanks for watching the blog…
I recommend the book “kiss, bow, shake hands” Great long term investment for your new life! :)
Thanks Dana- I’ll check it out!
Sarah, I’m so excited to leave a comment. I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of months. My husband John and I are moving into Oakwood three weeks from Saturday (the 20th), he starts A-100 on the 22nd. I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog for a couple of reasons: 1. I like reading about someone else’s experience that I expect will be similar to my own; 2. I too hail from MN. I was born in Minneapolis, lived in Hopkins for 6 weeks and spent the next almost 19 years in Chaska. While I don’t feel one bit of a desire to move back, MN holds a special place in my heart.
How exciting that you’re leaving in a month! Manilla is high on our list of desired posts, we may be neighbors later this year. I’m so happy to share your experiences with you.
Do you want 150 total Caribou bars or 150 boxes of Caribou bars? I can buy them at work by the case if you’d like for a slightly discounted price . . . (12 boxes in a case).
OK-I calced it out and you have a can of Chef B stuff (gross by the way) every 3.65 days before you will run out. On the TP-can you buy that there or is it really expensive? You can go through 1 roll every 2.43 days before you run out on that too. Diet coke-I think you should be able to bring 730 cans-1 per day you are there!
One more thought…where are you going to keep ALL the stuff you are bringing? I hope you have deep closets!
Sara- Thank you for writing! How exciting to hear from you. We definitely need to connect before I head out. We leave on the 28th, so let’s try to do coffee sometime between the 20th and 27th. It’ll be a bit crazy because we’ll be packing out, but I love meeting other Minnesotans. Thanks for following the blog. Can’t wait to meet you! You’re in for quite the adventure. Email me when you get into town.
Cheers,
Sarah
Thanks Lindsay. You’re so good to me! I found them with free shipping on Amazon, so the price is actually quite reasonable. I appreciate the offer though… Miss you!
Darling- Thank you for your concern! You’re so helpful. I know I’m probably being over-sensitive packing-wise, but we’re encouraged to bring certain types of product. You just don’t know what the availability or price of products will be over there and we have a poundage amount allocated to us (most of which we’re not using). I’ll keep you posted on how we’re doing… shopping is exhausting!
Who knows what we’ll get! I”m going to have to get creative!