Applications for freedom?

Our mighty Mt Taranaki in the sunset glow.

Apparently it's a bad idea to start your immigration application at about 8pm on a Saturday night. That's what we learned last weekend. It's only bad because of the fact that you're already tired and now here you are filling in 3 hours' worth of details of your lives. Then, even though you've already spent an additional 6 hours researching and planning and mapping out - you hit a snag! So, being tired and completing tedious paperwork = easy frustration!

We've adjusted our attitudes already but yep we've found there's a step that we thought we didn't need but it turns out we do - despite going over it with immigration beforehand and feeling sure that they confirmed it wasn't necessary. Oh well that's what happens with this type of thing. So as of today it will be at least 20 more working days before we can hit the submit button on the first step.

I do think it would have been useful (albeit quite a funny packing list) if we had looked into the paperwork required before we left Canada (and left most of it there.) But when you're heading out you don't typically think of grabbing your old ROE's and T4 slips. I mean I know some of us get letters from our past employers before we go anywhere, you know just in case, but we didn't think of it this time! And those details don't even start to cover your ID and proof of age. However, I am guessing poor Lena might be stuck lugging the contents of half our filing cabinet across the sea. So lucky that she's so willing to help!

So that's us these days. Knee-deep in the promise of never-ending paperwork. I am sure you'll hear all about it along the way so I won't bore you with details right now.

Dustin's started playing in a touch rugby league. I don't know the game well but I am pretty sure it's pretty much what it says it is. It's a quick game though, maybe two 15 minute halves. They are short on girls though so keep trying to convince Dustin to bring me. Maybe next Monday...

We have more visitors headed our way as my folks are coming down in March. Just in time for any additional paperwork we overlooked... haha.

Check out our garden! A mere 3.5 weeks ago we went out and picked up enough planters, seeds and soil to start a container garden on our patio. We don't have a yard but couldn't resist the spring growing season calling. There is so much sunshine here - even if it's mixed in with rain showers half the time - that it's supposed to be a great place for gardens. We're putting it to the test and so far it's proving to be accurate. But don't take my word for it, look at the photos!

Yes it's time to thin the lettuce by about half and it's going to be one mean salad!

We are so excited that we might get chili peppers to come up!! With a little basil on the side for good measure.

Oh delicious cilantro (or as they say here, coriander) how we love you. This one might need a little longer but will be so worth it!

Talking to friends yesterday (who reminded us that we already have Canadian citizenship and that's free and doesn't require all these efforts) kind of gave us a chance to verbalize more that we've decided to commit to going through with this to allow us the freedom to move around as we please within 1-3 years or so. (Because we aren't naive, in our first two years there is a minimum residency requirement for how long we have to stay here.) Just because we're going for residency doesn't mean we will never ever live in BC again, but we've reviewed our priorities a few times (and then some) over the last few months and we would like to settle in somewhere and it's easy to imagine doing so here. If we start that visualization in BC, we can't even picture a city that suits us. If we don't start now, we'll have to up heave everything all over again to leave the country in March and apply from back in BC. We'd rather not wait. The time is now! And all those motivational taglines.

It is true though, there is no time like the present... what you are waiting for?