Brentering, Deferred

So, despite selling our house and being bon voyaged, we are still in Florida. I will attempt to make a very, very, very long story short.

In order to apply for our visas, we had to obtain a passport for Dexter and then send the whole family’s passports, plus Dex’s birth certificate, our marriage license (all originals!) and a two-inch thick sheaf of paperwork to the British government. The visas were approved while we were visiting family up north, and because the package required a signature, we arranged for it to be delivered to our home Friday, the day after our return to Orlando.

From there, the plan was to spend the weekend packing and discarding, with a break for a bon voyage party Saturday evening. We’re having a 200 cubic foot crate shipped to the UK, and that pickup was Monday morning. Sign papers to close on house Monday evening, officially get out of house Tuesday morning then fly over Tuesday afternoon.

Except, when the package arrived Friday, it only contained Matt’s passport and visa. Dexter’s and mine, along with our important documents, were missing.

Much of Friday was spent tracking down the package. It turned up at a third-party company, hired by the British government, located in Washington D.C. Our hail mary hope was that somehow, someone there would overnight it Monday and we’d get it early enough Tuesday to make our August 2 flight.

When it became clear Monday this was unlikely to happen, I spent several hours on the phone talking to everyone I could think of on the American side, trying to obtain emergency passports or anything at all that would allow Dexter and I to make our August 2 flight. (And, you know. Not become homeless.)

The best someone could do for us was an 8:30 a.m. appointment at a passport office in Miami, with no guarantees that said passports would be issued, on August 3, the day after our flight was scheduled to leave.

That is when I started to cry to strangers on the phone. No joy to us from America. THANKS OBAMA.

ANSWERS TO FAQ

So, when do you fly out? 
Undetermined. We’re told we’ll have some details on package timing tonight, but I am NOT booking another flight until documents are in hand, so once they arrive, we’ll start to make plans. The official opinion of our attorney is “up to a week.”

Do you have to pay for two flights? 
Matt’s new company said they’d cover the second set of flights. Huge relief.

Where will you live when you get there?
The original plan was for Matt’s new company to put us up in a hotel for two weeks while we find a place We believe that plan still stands. We’re looking in the Bromley area, where his studio is located, about a 10 minute train ride south of London.

Is Jamie gonna work? 
Ideally, yes, and I get a visa as Matt’s spouse. I’m going to wait until I get a UK address to skirt the whole “I’m moving there!” explanation in my applications, and of course, my top priority when I arrive will be to get us settled into our new place. Childcare is even more expensive there than it is here, though, so it can’t be just any job, but there are TONS of great companies based out of London so I can’t wait to start finding opportunities.

Would Jamie do freelance work? 
Why yes, I would! Are you, or is someone you know, offering any assignments? Please let me know!

Will Dexter get a British accent? 
We sure hope so. Oh my god. He’s going to be ridiculously cute.