Moving to England: Q&A Session

(From an April 2016 visit) 

Since announcing a week ago I am moving to London I have been inundated with questions and I even joked at the office I should write up a little sign and wear it around my neck to answer the most common questions.  All joking aside though, thank you for the out pouring of love and amazing well wishes – yes, I am tremendously excited for this new adventure!  Now, as promised, the answers to some of the most common questions I have been getting: 

Why are you moving?  Are you getting a visa? The largest and biggest question! I am moving to the U.K. because of a new job.   This is not entirely new though – two large things remain the same, the actual role and the company I am working for.   Because I am still working for the same company I am moving on an intra-company transfer visa which makes the whole process a lot easier but no, to answer another question, does not automatically qualify me for citizenship.   

Do you have somewhere to live?  No, not yet.  Yes, I do realize I am moving to England late this week but my company is setting me up with temporary housing by the office and it will give me a few weeks to find somewhere terrific to live. I already have a sense of the ideal area from when I was in town two weeks ago and now I will spend the next few weekends seeing the places I have been stalking online in person. 

Will you have a roommate(s)?  To be honest, this was a question I had a very different answer to a few weeks ago. I had originally thought it would be a good idea, especially socially, to have roommates to help me acclimate to my new city but then I quickly realized after four years of living alone in New York City it is something I have not only grown quite accustomed to but absolutely love and I would not want to change that so final answer, no, I will not have roommates. 

How long are you going for?  Officially my visa is for 5 years and 1 month and then after that it is renewable.  So technically, five years, but what most people seem to be getting at by this question is, is this a short term or a long term thing and the answer is, long term / permanat! 

Are you excited? Thrilled.  Every time I talk about the move I start smiling like a little kid on Christmas.  Yes, there are a ton of logistical things to do but it is an amazing new chapter and I am thrilled. 

Are you going to go to the Royal Wedding?   Well, unless you have steered clear of all media and every magazine cover you will know the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is happening on May 19th and while it would be incredible to go, no, I don’t have an invitation and will likely be watching this Saturday spectacle on TV like everyone else. 

What are you going to do with all of your shoes?   Haha, well a bit ominously you may recall I shared my Spring cleaning post a few weeks and between donating, selling, and trash more than three dozen pairs of shoes bit the dust.  That’s not to say I don’t still have a ton – about 40 pairs will be making the trip over to the U.K. with me in a variety of suitcases!

How do you feel about the stereotype that English food is the worst in the world? To be honest, despite visiting England more than a half a dozen times I have not tried too much typical British food besides sticky toffee pudding which is tremendously delicious. 

Does this mean you’ll be traveling more?  Oh my goodness, I hope so!  My clients are based in different countries, that I already know and with how reasonable flights are to other cities (I am talking about less than $100 round trip) I truly hope and believe that Europe is now going to be my oyster and a great jump off point for my travels.  Currently I have 52 countries crossed of the list and I can not wait to add a few more plus there are a ton of places I want to go back (Budapest) or places I have not been yet (Mallorca, Milan) that hopefully I will be able to visit soon! 

How nervous are you about moving to a new country?  Nope! With 52 countries under my belt I love exploring new cities and cultures.  The fact that this trip is more than just a week or two makes it all that much more exciting. I think I would be quite nervous if I was moving somewhere and was not fluent in the language but since that is not a problem, nope, just pure excitement! 

Are you going to marry a Brit?  One with a great accent?  Well jumping the gun there, aren’t we?  It is not in the immediate plans but as I am not seeing anyone seriously it is definitely a possibility. Stay tuned!

Which soccer team will you be supporting?  Haha, well, I have learned more about soccer in the past week than I have in my nearly three decades – like the games are usually on Saturday night’s and are two hours flat – but that said I am nowhere near deciding which “football” team I am going to be supporting.  

Will you keep blogging?  Oh my goodness, of course! As I mentioned in my I’m Moving post last week though, it may not be Modnay through Friday every day for at least another month or so as I look to get scheduled and get my life totally together in a new country but of course I will keep blogging! Sparkles and Shoes is not only my favorite creative outlet but allows a fantastic space for me to record all of my memories! 

Thanks for all the questions and if there are enough, I will be sure to do a post-move Q&A!