The Visa is here, so watch out London here she comes!

This summer has been all about getting my daughter ready for her move to London to go to school this month. Most anguishing was the visa application, and monies that needed to be provided up front. But the approval for the visa was emailed and the passport and supporting papers arrived today. A huge relief as her tickets to depart are the 16th of this month.
We've been trying to do as much as possible to get her ready for this move from the states. Unfortunately, things like banking & phone service have to be done there and in person. There a few items on the list of to do's to be done over the next week forms, transfers etc. But we couldn't do them until we had the visa.

But we have managed to get housing and roommates through the school. There's a few questions to be answered there, but its done. Then we've been doing the last minute shopping for necessities, as american dollars don't quite as far in England as they do here. But she is limited by the 2 suitcase rule, so we have 2 large suitcases and she has a back pack to wear and that's it. She gets to come home at Christmas for a few weeks, but will go back until late summer. Because of the 2012 Olympics we aren't sure she will come home this summer. It is a very major adjustment for all of us. No quick trips like I was able to arrange to/from San Francisco. Thank goodness for Skype!

Working on my daughters Visa

Ack! working on the visa for student to England with my daughter.

  She filled out all the paperwork and then comes to me, I need these things: birth certificate, even though she has her passport, high school diploma, and oh yeah one must show the entire years tuition and living expenses in the bank account for 30 days prior to visa application or the loan papers.  No problem I always have a spare thirty thousand upfront.  I understand the thought behind it, but really? We've been trying to not take loans out for her education if possible. Last year she spent part of her college money while living in San Francisco and attending the conservatory there.  To show we had the moneys we had to withdraw from our 401K; I hate that, since we took it as a loan from ourselves we aren't paying taxes on it, but still it loses its earning potential during that time. Then the lovey Visa ask for your address while in country. Unfortunately- we don't have that yet. But hopefully the housing officer will be able to help us out on that. It says you can list the person helping you, and that will have to be satisfactory this time.
I know I'm being a little whiney about it. But part of that I think is the fact that I know I'm sending my only off to live so FAR away from home, and unlike when she lived in San Francisco, I don't think there will be a lot of trips in-between home and school for either of us. The poster above actually really has meaning right now in my life as we go through this process. FYI - Do you know the history of the Keep Calm poster? produced in 1939 for the British government to uplift the moral of the British peoples as they were facing World War 2. It was one of three different messages produced and hung throughout the country. Found in a bookshop in 2000, it has again become popular, and had many variations of it produced. Just a little tidbit for you today.