What a long week this has been! We've spent every day from 7:30am until 4pm (sometimes longer) at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, sitting in on various lectures and seminars to learn more about this new posting. Most of it has been quite informative, like learning about spousal employment and what we can do to help us get jobs while we're overseas, while others have just been downright boring. However, quite necessary. Today the lecture was held in a different building, across the river in Quebec. It was probably my favourite day thus far, as being in a new atmosphere helped to break the week up a little bit. Our "teacher" was great to listen to and had lots of advice to give, as she'd lived in several different countries over in Asia and around the world. We also had a chance to speak to a Pakistani man and he gave us a little more insight as to what it's like over there. Tomorrow is the last day and while this whole week has given me a lot of information and was very helpful, I can't wait for it to be over. The days are long, sitting in an auditorium and listening to people speak for hours, and I just want to be able to relax, clean the house, and sleep in!
I've had a chance to get to know a few of the other military spouses who are accompanying their husbands on various missions across the world, and it's good to get their perspective as most have been overseas before. And while I have spent 16 months living in the Netherlands and went there on my own, the Netherlands is a lot different from Pakistan and other such countries. So all in all, a very productive week.
But like I said, I just want to be able to sleep in and not have to wake up at 5:45 in the morning. And to spend some quality time with my animals! Poor babies, they've been so neglected this week.
Roderick still has two more weeks of training, it'll be a bit more indepth and relating to his job that he'll be doing over there. Then he's off to the States for, yet again, more training! And we still haven't handed in our passport or visa forms because we've run into some issues - they didn't like my photos because there was a teeny tiny bit of a flash, not even in my eyes, just the corner of the glasses, and then his birth certificate was a bit torn around the edges. We sent off for a new one and it should be here any day now. Once those are handed in, and come back okay, I can relax a little bit. Right now I'm so scared that something is going to go wrong and we won't be able to go! And we've already spent thousands of dollars preparing for this. Suits for him, proper outfits for me (to attend these suit & tie meetings all week), passport photos (can you believe Walmart charges $14.95 for two freakin' photos? and they required a lot. $186 later...), immunizations for me, doctors, dentists, optometrists, and then things like shampoo that we'll want to take with us. Thank gosh Walmart is good for something and had a sale on Herbal Essences at $2 a bottle.
And then of course I still have the task of getting my security clearance and they need to know all my employers from the past 10 years! Do you think I could remember? It took some effort and I had to contact some old colleagues of mine, but I got them all. Now I just need to remember the names of my supervisors! *sigh*
Oh, and in regards to my last post, unless a temporary job falls into my lap, I won't be looking for work. Too much to do, too little time.
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