Oh, boy!! I have so many emotions right now - Let's see if I am able to convey to you what all has been going on.
I submitted my VISA application over 3 months ago. As of yesterday, they were "still processing" my case. Not only was I getting super anxious over the situation, Sophie was on the edge of her seat because the nanny they have now has booked her flight home & they need me! I had contacted the migration board every day for the past week with no forward motion.
Sophie called yesterday & got the job done!!
I now have my VISA & just booked my flight. I will be in Sweden as of 10:30am on September 28th!!!
Wow!!
One week left in America...One very special baby shower to attend this weekend... One BIG wedding to attend next weekend... & Three very important lunch dates with the cutest nephews around!
This is it... With everything I have to accomplish between now and September 27th; it's safe to say the next time you read a post it will be from Sweden!!!!!!
Now off to figure out how to put my entire life into 2 bags!!
Love, love, love!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Why? When? Where?
Here I am - a little less than 2 months and I will be moving to Sweden. I wanted to make this first post one that documents the process I have gone through to make it to Sweden in September!
I'll start by answering the same questions I get every time I tell someone I am moving to Sweden.
First: WHY?????
Well, Why NOT?!?! Here I am, a recent college graduate - young, single, & free!!! There really is no better time in life to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. (Besides missing the birth of my first niece, but that is another whole blog entry!!) Yes, it seems very spontaneous and it really is! However, I am beyond excited for what the next year has in store for me!
Second question: How did you hear about Sweden? How did you find this family?
Before I graduated, I had been thinking about looking for teaching jobs over seas. I was looking at jobs on different US bases around the world. However, I never really found anything that made my heart skip a beat, so I decided to forget it. Then, at my graduation party (May 14th), Ms. Cindy told me about her daughter's friend who was moving to Germany to be a nanny for a year. The light bulb went off, people!! I HAD to know where she found this opportunity and about a week later I was in touch with her. She gave me all of the information and I was off to get this thing done!! I made a profile on the website, took the "matching" test, and began to find potential families. After a week or so, I was down to two lovely families. One in Australia and of course the other in Sweden. I set up Skype interviews with both families. Not an easy job when one family is 12 hours different and the other 6 hours. I "met" both families the same weekend. I don't even know how to explain it, but I felt a connection with the family in Sweden right away!! I knew it was meant to be! That was a Saturday afternoon. I was told that they were interviewing another girl but still wanted me to "meet" the children so we set up a time that Monday during my lunch break to have another Skype date. That lunch hour turned into one long lunch hour. I talked with the girls for over an hour! We had a great talk and I fell in love! I ended that interview feeling great - but was told the girls were meeting the other potential candidate and they would let me know of the decision by the end of the week.
Looonnnnggggeeeesssttt...... week....... EVER!!
I was SO nervous. I wanted this position so badly, but would totally understand if they felt connected to the other girl. Well, as we all know they made the decision to welcome me into their family! I received an email that Wednesday titled "Welcome to Sweden!" I was at work and I am sure that I jumped 5 feet in the air screaming!!!! I GOT THE JOB!!!!! (One of over 45 candidates that applied to be a part of this family!) I felt so honored, happy, nervous, excited, worried.... Wow, that email changed the course of my life in a BIG way!!
Let me tell you a little about this awesome family (the little bit that I know so far... we will get to know them together as I blog while I am there). Sophie is the lovely mother. She is so sweet!! But let me tell you - the interview I had with her was very challenging. She wants to make sure her children are taken care of and I really admire her probing questions. I really believe that we will get along great!! Stella is 10 years old and just adorable! We have had a few wonderful conversations over skype. You should hear her English. She is amazing. They do not begin to learn English in school until 4th grade (she starts this fall) however she does a great job speaking in her second language. Then we have Vilda. Vilda is 4 years old. I cannot tell you much about Vilda so far because she was more interested in playing the Wii instead of talking to me on Skype. I can't blame her! I do know that once she warms up to me, we will get along great! Her personality seems silly, crazy, and sweet. A girl after my own heart!
This sure has turned into a very long first post, but I want to put everything in writing so I do not forget the beginnings of this adventure! :)
After accepting the offer, I began the process of obtaining my passport. I had to do that first then I was able to apply for a Swedish Work Visa. I am still playing the waiting game to hear back from the Embassy of Sweden. I hope to hear soon!!! They have to "accept" me to work in their country. Silly paperwork!
This is where I am so far in this process!!! I cannot tell you how excited and super anxious I am to move to Sweden. Really, this next year of my life is going to be nothing short of amazing. I will learn so many new things, be afraid of so many new things, and LOVE so many new things!!!
If you read this entire post, you must really love me!! :)
I love you, too!!
I will try to update this as new things come up and will for sure keep this blog updated while I am away. It will be a great place for friends and family to keep up and for me to read later in life!
Now it is time to buckle down for Laura's wedding & find the time to pack my life for a year!!
Love, Love, Love!
~Blair
I'll start by answering the same questions I get every time I tell someone I am moving to Sweden.
First: WHY?????
Well, Why NOT?!?! Here I am, a recent college graduate - young, single, & free!!! There really is no better time in life to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. (Besides missing the birth of my first niece, but that is another whole blog entry!!) Yes, it seems very spontaneous and it really is! However, I am beyond excited for what the next year has in store for me!
Second question: How did you hear about Sweden? How did you find this family?
Before I graduated, I had been thinking about looking for teaching jobs over seas. I was looking at jobs on different US bases around the world. However, I never really found anything that made my heart skip a beat, so I decided to forget it. Then, at my graduation party (May 14th), Ms. Cindy told me about her daughter's friend who was moving to Germany to be a nanny for a year. The light bulb went off, people!! I HAD to know where she found this opportunity and about a week later I was in touch with her. She gave me all of the information and I was off to get this thing done!! I made a profile on the website, took the "matching" test, and began to find potential families. After a week or so, I was down to two lovely families. One in Australia and of course the other in Sweden. I set up Skype interviews with both families. Not an easy job when one family is 12 hours different and the other 6 hours. I "met" both families the same weekend. I don't even know how to explain it, but I felt a connection with the family in Sweden right away!! I knew it was meant to be! That was a Saturday afternoon. I was told that they were interviewing another girl but still wanted me to "meet" the children so we set up a time that Monday during my lunch break to have another Skype date. That lunch hour turned into one long lunch hour. I talked with the girls for over an hour! We had a great talk and I fell in love! I ended that interview feeling great - but was told the girls were meeting the other potential candidate and they would let me know of the decision by the end of the week.
Looonnnnggggeeeesssttt...... week....... EVER!!
I was SO nervous. I wanted this position so badly, but would totally understand if they felt connected to the other girl. Well, as we all know they made the decision to welcome me into their family! I received an email that Wednesday titled "Welcome to Sweden!" I was at work and I am sure that I jumped 5 feet in the air screaming!!!! I GOT THE JOB!!!!! (One of over 45 candidates that applied to be a part of this family!) I felt so honored, happy, nervous, excited, worried.... Wow, that email changed the course of my life in a BIG way!!
Let me tell you a little about this awesome family (the little bit that I know so far... we will get to know them together as I blog while I am there). Sophie is the lovely mother. She is so sweet!! But let me tell you - the interview I had with her was very challenging. She wants to make sure her children are taken care of and I really admire her probing questions. I really believe that we will get along great!! Stella is 10 years old and just adorable! We have had a few wonderful conversations over skype. You should hear her English. She is amazing. They do not begin to learn English in school until 4th grade (she starts this fall) however she does a great job speaking in her second language. Then we have Vilda. Vilda is 4 years old. I cannot tell you much about Vilda so far because she was more interested in playing the Wii instead of talking to me on Skype. I can't blame her! I do know that once she warms up to me, we will get along great! Her personality seems silly, crazy, and sweet. A girl after my own heart!
This sure has turned into a very long first post, but I want to put everything in writing so I do not forget the beginnings of this adventure! :)
After accepting the offer, I began the process of obtaining my passport. I had to do that first then I was able to apply for a Swedish Work Visa. I am still playing the waiting game to hear back from the Embassy of Sweden. I hope to hear soon!!! They have to "accept" me to work in their country. Silly paperwork!
This is where I am so far in this process!!! I cannot tell you how excited and super anxious I am to move to Sweden. Really, this next year of my life is going to be nothing short of amazing. I will learn so many new things, be afraid of so many new things, and LOVE so many new things!!!
If you read this entire post, you must really love me!! :)
I love you, too!!
I will try to update this as new things come up and will for sure keep this blog updated while I am away. It will be a great place for friends and family to keep up and for me to read later in life!
Now it is time to buckle down for Laura's wedding & find the time to pack my life for a year!!
Love, Love, Love!
~Blair
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