How much does your history weigh?

Odd thing to realize that all of our worldly possessions need to be whittled down to 1000 pounds of air freight and a 200 dollar a month storage space.  In case that seems like a lot, it's not.  Trust me on this.  We, like most people, have way more stuff than we need/want/realized we had.  Some of it is really hard to part with, some of it I can't believe we've had this long.  There is a mental toll in simply having things.  You have to tidy them, or dust them, or just use energy and time figuring out where to put them and where they are should you actually want to find them again.  Ahh, how much better simply to not have the stuff in the first place.

But then I think of heirlooms and how few of them I really have.  Does that matter?  Do I and my family have a less than rich history because we don't have belongings attached to that history?  Weighty matters folks, weighty matters.  About 1000 pounds worth to be exact.

And I will leave you with this last thought: in Ireland a boot is the trunk of a car and a fanny is not a person's backside, it is "lady parts".  If I misuse the first one, people might be confused.  If I misuse the second, people will be offended.  I'll need to learn this stuff soon.

We enjoy perusing houses that we could rent online.
Daft.ie



The names are quite interesting here is a sample
Crinstown, The Steeples, the Duke, GriffenRath Hall, Kingsbry, The Place

GriffenRath Hall sounds very Harry Potterish, Also enjoyed the steeples (open up the doors and see all the peoples). Some sound very dramatic the duke,the place

we will see where we land

Rob

progress...

Portland house:
Well we signed with a property manager on Friday . Our property likely went on their website Monday and we had our first showing Wednesday.
Much to our surprise that first showing attracted an offer. The property manager said it isn't usually this easy.

of course when I when I moved to Europe previously I didn't have to worry about any of these trivialities. It is nice to have parents to deal with the details. Not that our kids can appreciate that now.

Dublin housing:
still looking, slim pickings so far. There are some palatial houses on the outskirts of town, but we would like some walk ability. We found one in a great neighborhood but then the ad said looking for 3 roommates to join 2 others. Our relo person said she has an inside track with a property owner for a property that may be coming on the market next month. Will see...
And of course if we do find the perfect house online, will we be willing to try and lock ourselves in sight unseen...

stay tuned

Rob

a poll for readers...

well I guess there is some preliminary feedback that Sarah and I having blogs may be a bit confusing.

so should sarah and I post together , 2 sides to the same picture in the same blog...

comments solicited

Rob

63 days and counting

It is a strange feeling to know that our lives are going to be moved to a place that is almost entirely unfamiliar to us.  On the one hand I'm looking forward to seeing our country from the outside for the first time.  It will give us all a perspective that not everyone in the U.S. has the chance to gain.  We will likely learn to appreciate some of the things that we have here, particularly here in Portland that we have taken for granted up until now.  For instance, just the other evening I had the chance to see a world class symphony performance and I could afford both the tickets and the parking.  Will that be possible in Dublin?

On the other hand I'm dreading some of the little things.  I worry about driving on the wrong side of the road and on the wrong side of the car.  I worry about crossing streets and looking for cars coming from the wrong direction.  I worry that I won't be able to find the grocery store, fit our laundry in the Lilliputian sized washing machines (that generally reside in the kitchen), or find my favorite toothpaste.  In short I'm worried about the stupid stuff.

But I'm also worried that our children will feel isolated, out of step and unwelcome.  So, I'm faking it.  Because that is what a good mom does- worry and pretend not to.  So, I'm telling you that I'm scared out of my mind, but just don't tell anyone that I said so.

I know that in the long run this will be a fantastic opportunity for everyone in our family.  But it's not the long run that worries me.  It's the little stuff.  And the not-so-little stuff.  It's the short term that's keeping me up at night.  But, with just 63 days to go, the short term gets shorter every day and soon we will be there, settled and LIVING IN IRELAND.  So, short term be damned - bring on the experience!

where will we be

Europe Take 1
Gerrards Cross, England
population 8,017 today (2900 households)

Europe take 2
Maynooth, Ireland
population 12,510
households 3710 (not sure i believe that number, but could be true since most houses area attached)

How does it compare to where we live now
Kenton, Portland Oregon
population 6934 (2707 households)

A comparison
The upper map of the next 2 is where we live. The blue represents the park and library we walk to

 The map below is Maynooth and the blue is the same scale. You can see much smaller population density then current neighborhood

original link for your zoom in/out comparison
Portland (neighborhood) vs Maynooth


Rob

Preamble

After 32 years the prodigal son returns... I left England in 1981 to return to the U.S.A.  Who can say how those early years shaped me. I think I am who I am thanks to those experiences overseas.
The opportunity knocked last year May, and we decided to answer.

The long wait was unexpected, and more stressful than we anticipated.

Is this my midlife crises, a job reboot after 13 years with KLA in Portland...Hopefully this experience will be good for everyone and not just me.

A picture with a smile . Hopefulyl first of many.

And another

The next 67 days will have many stressful moments as we pack, plan, shop.

europe here we come watch out

Rob

now portlandtoeurope.blogspot.com

blog moving, for sarah to own

portlandworldtraveller@blogspot.com

got to stop spending our days having fun
it is time to start getting shit done

got to stop spending our days having fun
it is time to start getting stuff done - Sarah

Note: blog was edited to PG from R, the comment stuff was not the true quote