Re/Expatriate- Official News

I'm not pregnant.

Lets just get that out of the way first.

Some of you already know this,
and maybe most of you have sort of picked up subtle hints,
or just figured it out on your own..
in which case this is much more anti-climactic...
but...
I have never officially made this announcement on here yet,
and I feel like blogging it makes it more real.

This summer,

after the wedding,

Stephen and I will be officially re-locating back to the USA!

Permanently.

I can't really discuss details yet of how this is happening...

as we have two plans in the works right now.

Plan A and Plan B.

Both involve relocation almost immediately after the wedding 

(if all goes according to plan...side eye immigration office)
and I don't want to jinx it by talking about the plans yet.

Some of you already know I have been wanting to move back for awhile,

and that S and I have been planning different ways to go about doing it,

because as I have mentioned on this blog before,

the process is very difficult and very time consuming in regards to visas for Stephen that will allow him to come to the USA and live there.

There are a few different options that will let him in the country and stay,

some are risky,

and some can take a very long time,
we are hoping to avoid both of these scenarios.

We actually didn't officially decide our return back to the US until we were home over Christmas.

We originally only had Plan A...

but decided we just did not want to have to stay another year in the UK if Plan A didn't work out..

so we implemented plan B to ensure we move back this summer regardless.

We are giving up our flat right before the wedding,

and will be staying in Northern Ireland until we fly back (hopefully together) with my family.

By the time we leave,

I will have been living in the UK for three years,

Scotland, specifically, for almost 2.

It is funny how quickly your life can change...

it moves so fast that sometimes I wonder if I have remembered to take a breath.

I thought, upon moving to Scotland,

that S and I would be in the UK for another few years at least...

then so much happened,

and things became clear,

and we just knew the US was where we wanted to call home.

This has been the most incredible journey,

I feel like I am leaving with a better sense of myself.

I know who I am,

I know what I want out of life,

what is important,

what is necessary.

I have been changed.

Being an expat has been so beautifully challenging.

Being abroad,

often alone,

has made me have to rely on myself,

my own instincts,

in making my next move or decision.

I was once so wrapped up in the voices of others,

allowing them to guide my life for me,

until I left the noise and found myself in a world of quiet.

When I left California this time,

I knew my journey as an expat was coming to a close,

whereas previous trips had me yearning to get back to the UK.

My heart isn't in it anymore,

time is so fleeting,

so easily taken away,

and for me,

I don't want to spend anymore of it so far from my family,

my supportive community,

and my beloved sunshine ;)

It's no surprise that some of my very best friends out here,

are American expats,

who I know I will see again on US soil

(except for you Soph who will be back in Australia...close enough ;) ).

We are so excited to build a home and family one day soon in the states,

and host our amazing friends and family here in the UK,

some who have never been to the US.

I'll be sharing more information on our transition as we start making the actual steps in June!

Because you know,

planning a wedding just isn't stressful enough
so we decided to tack on a transatlantic move on top of it.

{editors note: both of these plans have the possibility of failing, or potentially moving so slow that S and I will have to be separated for a short period of time after the wedding). Visa stuff is never guaranteed, if both plans fail we will have to remain in the UK for another 6months to a year...in which case I will cry...because no, a marriage license in the UK does not grant Stephen immediate entry into the US. He still has to immigrate over through a government issued visa which can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to get...sometimes longer if you screw up the forms. Prayers and good thoughts appreciated.}