Heathrow

Well, I made it. Made it to the airport, thru security... twice & now I'm sitting in terminal 5 at Heathrow, one of the most complicated airports I've been to. It's hard to think about. I don't think it's quite sunk in that I'm gone. That everything I know is different and I am now floating through the motions like everyone else with a big secret: I don't know what I'm doing.

Thank God for free wifi, cell phones that can roam & family willing to be woken up at 4 in the morning by a slightly teary and definitely tired little girl.

It really is hard to believe its happening. I can barely think about it without feeling jittery, scared, and alone. I'm not the greatest at making friends, and I think when your mascara is running its one more sign saying "stay away."

I got to see some really fluffy clouds and the sun sort of rising. That was amazing. But now, it's hurry up & wait. It is now 12:25 in London and my connection doesn't depart until 3:05.... the next several hours is ging to go by fast. It really is happening, no matter what I say or don't say, do or don't do. I'm over half way there and losing it. I think an hour & 1/2 of interrupted sleep is catching up with me.

I can say that Heathrow is not only super clean but also, bright which is nice after being in a dark and in a sense damp plane all night.

I'm not sure when it will hit, but I know it will. And when it does, thank heavens I have ways of connecting.

BTW if you don't know already, I now have Skype - you'll be able to contact me at mattieporter

I know these postings are random and somewhat useless, but I appreciate anyone interested in checking in on me. Pictures will post as they're taken, unfortunately, not much for now. The camera isn't the easiest thing to get in & out of the duffle.

My only fear at this point is my 2 checked bags, my life so to speak which are going through and I don't know how well that process usually goes. We'll see when I get to Geneva I suppose...

Goodbye Seattle

Well, this is it. I'm getting everything together and whatever doesn't fit in my 2 checked bags & 2 carry-ons isn't going with me. Skype account is up & running, blog in (semi)full swing. The butterflies are twitching. The next 24 hours is going to be a whirlwind.

For those who don't know & have interest I am flying direct from Seattle to Heathrow. I leave tomorrow evening (Friday 29th) at 6:35 and I'm flying British.

I arrive in London at noon on saturday (GMT) and leave at 3pm for my 1.5 hour flight to Geneva (GMT+1) (So that's +9 hours difference for West Coasters and +6 for East Coast)

I land in Geneva about 5:45. So by 7 I should be through customs & on my way home. (to my new home any way).

I'm terribly excited and just thrilled to have the opportunity, but I can't help but be nervous and insecure about the circumstances. I'm moving everything I have to a country half the world away and leaving my family behind. I haven't flown alone in a long while, either. I second guess everything. So starting tomorrow: No second guesses.

I'm going to miss my Seattle family & promise to be back sooner than later.

Now if only I could get some sleep....
<3

Countdown

We're less than 48 hours to go and I'm both excited and out of my mind. It's hard to believe its only a few hours away. Trying to get those last couple of things done, last items purchased and final people to see. The visa has been issued (my entrance visa anyway) and passport returned.

It's a lot to take in. And hard to accept its really happening. Tomorrow is my last full day in Washington for a long time. Going away is hard. I realized I haven't flown by myself in several years - and with all the changes in the last couple I'm a little nervous to. I know the liquid limits & all that jazz but its just too much to remember.

I'm looking forward to being on the plane, on the road and on my way to a new adventure.

Please forgive the short and randomness of this post and know that soon, if not next posting I'll be writing from abroad!

(Photos of the bon voyage are on their way and I will post as soon as I can)

Lastly, a quick note: Chloe still needs a home. I have a day. If anyone has a space for a kitty, please call me.

Today was great btw, got some new clothes and some new shoes and a new watch and my mommy took me to get a pedicure and now I have cute toes!

So Blessed

I just feel so blessed. Yesterday was my bon voyage party and it was an awesome show of love and encouragement. I am now 4 days from departure. The kindness of people I love showing their support for me to do this amazing thing, this journey of self-exploration and discovery. I received great advice from those I love and their simply being there for me was more than enough to fill my heart with joy, and a little sorrow for leaving.

I almost want a going away party EVERY WEEKEND! Great Seattle band, Exohxo played, my mother sang a song to me, my dad blessed me with voiding my IOU for my laptop and over 50 people came to wish me luck. The food was to die for (and I will be dreaming of the deep fried mac & cheese bites for many months to come) and as always, there was a plethora of good wine to drink. The generosity of my friends & family was astonishing and I am overwhelmed with love. And now I have a nice little starting fund to being my european adventures with.

But throughout the party I felt a drain, not knowing if my visa would in fact come in time and I would be able to go. After feeling rather frantic this morning not being able to reach the visa desk at the consulate in San Francisco, finally I received word that it is being mailed out today. (Let's just hope that it's approved!) Overnight FedEx should be dropping it tomorrow.

Crisis 1 diverted.

Crisis 2: packing! Despite reducing my life by 2/3 I still have too much stuff. Trying to determine what I can and cannot take with me is incredibly hard. I have so much to do. And it all has to fit into 2 checked bags less than 50lbs each and 2 carry-on bags (a duffle and my backpack). Not enough room for everything I think I'm taking. I have a feeling I'm being a little over zealous.

We will have to see what will actually go and what will be forced to stay. One thing for sure is that by Thursday I'm going to be an emotional wreck.

Crisis 3: Cat. Still looking for a home for my little one. It breaks my heart to even think about it.

For now I'm going to try and stay focused and write thank you's before I forget. :)

One Week, One Day

It's getting close. Almost too close for my taste. There seems to still be so much to consider, think, plan, etc. and NO time in which to do so. I need to rethink some of my packing, rethink some of my items. It's so hard to try and figure out what I'll want/need over there.

I saw my doctor for the last time yesterday. He's proud of my taking this on. I'm proud of me too. But I'm also apprehensive. I'm in a fragile state of mind. Not quite sure what will happen when I get there. (I mean I know what will happen work-wise, day plans, etc.) But I don't know what will happen to my attitude.

I'm a little nervous. A lot excited. And overwhelmed with emotions that cannot be controlled. I'm trying to take it as easy as possible. Not over-stress or worry. Things that are out of my control and therefore cannot be changed, will just have to happen.

In the meanwhile, I still have a cat that needs a good home. I still need to purchase a few items for my new life and I need to find a way to do that without loosing my mind.

I'm going into my old office today to do some contract work. It feels weird saying that. For 1.5 years I lived, breathed, thought Sage and now it's been out of my mind for 3 weeks and I'm hoping I haven't forgotten it all!

Today's mission: Go to Costco, buy beer for the party. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have rockstar neighbors who are willing to not only cook but also do all the prep work. Plus, can these boys cook! :)

I should probably get ready to go, but will be thinking about how to settle down my heart so I don't suffer a massive anxiety attack on the way to Switzerland.

Down to the wire

I feel like time is going by without giving me proper time to prepare. My ever growing to-do list and related brain power seems lost. I feel like I am perpetually waiting. Waiting for the embassy to open, waiting to hear back from someone, waiting to find a place for Chloe. Waiting. And running out of time. I'm waiting for things to happen when they should have happened days ago. I don't get it. For every action there are 3 waiting in line.

I know I'm going to "run out" of time. And most likely that will mean getting onto a plane without a plan, without a goal and just winging it. I'm not a good wing-er. So many people want to go out, see me one last time and I do to but wish I had a whole separate 2 weeks for that alone.

I need to send out my visa paperwork today. Even though the Swiss government has already approved my visa for whatever reason I have to also send my passport to San Francisco to have it processed here. WTF. It's all pretty dumb. And I should have probably done this earlier this week but Monday was a government holiday and yesterday I couldn't get in touch with the visa desk in SF because it's only open from 9-12 M-F except "government" holidays and of couse it was about 1:20 yesterday when I was able to get to FedEx.

So here I am waiting for 9am to roll around so I can try and get the answers I need about mailing these stupid papers and pray they get back to Seattle in time.

2 weeks Notice

I have two weeks to go. Actually a little less than 2 weeks to go and time couldn't be going by more quickly. I'm in Portland now, visiting my cousin and going to a few bars now that I can legally. Although in 2 weeks it won't matter if I'm 21 or 18 because they don't care there!

I'm a little in denial. It's a lot to adjust to. This coming week I need to really "pack" for my trip. Roll all the clothes I said I wanted to take and put as many as I can into my suitcase. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do. I handed back my keys to my house last Friday and now am "couch-surfing" so to speak. Although the couch at my parent's house is pretty darn comfy.

The time is just going by so quickly. I feel like I've got nothing done, even though I know that is a lie. I've packed up my entire life, it just is still too big to all come with me. I am such a pack-rat and I have so many "things" that for who-knows why I feel the need to hold onto. It's not helpful.

News on the visa front is that I'm way confused and not sure how it's all going to work out. I tried calling the Seattle Embassy last week only to discover the Seattle embassy doesn't handle visas. Visas go though San Francisco where they have ONE person at the visa desk which is open from 9-12 only. Helpful huh? And you can't leave a voicemail because there is no machine. If that wasn't confusing and frustrating enough I'm trying to figure out how if at all I need to get my visa prior to landing. My work visa should be squared away but apparently that's not something I get prior to departure. And a US citizen doesn't need a visa to visit/enter Switzerland anymore so figuring out what it is I do need is sort of chaotic. Luckily I have the best host family ever who will be helping me figure this all out this week.

I do need to find a home for my kitty, Chloe. She's precious but a little... anti-social. She just likes to sleep and love and be adorable. But she can't go to Switzerland with me. Although she's not the most friendly, she is a lover, and will become attached to whomever is taking care of her. She's the lowest maintenance cat I've known, sheds somewhat but you can leave her with a full bowl of food & water and leave for a weekend and she's fine. If you or someone you know can provide my little kitty with a home for the next year, please contact me. I would love to find a safe and warm home for her with someone known.

adorable picture below:

Progress is a...

Well I've made some progress this week. Which is good because I am now at the 3 week mark. I have been reflecting on how quickly the last 7 weeks have gone. It's sort of ridiculous actually, I don't know where the time has gone.

My room is mostly packed up. I somehow managed to get everything I'm keeping into 3 large rubbermaid containers to go into storage and a box that's going with me. In the garage there are at least 4 large boxes full of donations - plus an assortment of bags & other containers. And I totally lucked out because the Northwest Center trucks are driving through my neighborhood Wednesday so I don't even have to take it to goodwill!! :D

Next week, in addition to my 21st birthday (which is Wednesday) I have to complete the moving process out of my house. Luckily I only have 2 pieces of furniture to worry about but I do need to find a way to transport them to their storage locations.

The largest hurdle I am currently facing is what to do with my beloved cat, Chloe. She needs to find a foster home for a year. She's a sweetheart, a little antisocial but adorable none-the-less. Originally the plan was to leave her with my awesome roommates, but alas, their cat has decided he won't share to affection with someone else. (Even though he's perhaps more skittish than Chloe) He swiped at her pretty badly a couple weeks ago, and did some noticeable damage so it was decided best if she try to find a different foster home.

The whole process is pretty surreal. I'll be move-out cleaning my room Thursday/Friday and then Friday I hand over the keys. I can't seem to find the right way of describing it, the odd feelings that surround when going through a move like this.

So many things to get rid of that one normally would bring with them on a move... sheets, storage boxes, my tv, cups, towels.... just not things you normally wouldn't just abandon. You replace when they wear out, etc.

It's a totally new adventure. I'm excited. And I think that I'm not going to realize how quickly time is flying until it's too late.

Did someone say PARTY???

If for some reason you missed the invite:

http://www.mypunchbowl.com/parties/735043-bon-voyage-mattie

<3

Too Much Stuff!

I just have too much stuff. Having always been a pack-rat, taking everything I own and dividing it into 3 piles is incredibly difficult. There is the "take with me" pile, the "must keep" pile & the "go away, why do I still have this" pile. Unfortunately it isn't as easy as going through and putting a sticker on each item to designate which is which. And in terms of what is going with me to Switzerland, I am at a total loss.

I sort of wish I could just throw it all in a box and leave it be. Or at least not worry about it. But It needs to be organized, in case someone needs to get into it while I'm away.

This experience will be good to get rid of everything extra in my life, but getting to that point is just so overwhelming.

Oh another note, tomorrow is the first Monday in over 1.5 years I won't be getting up to go to work. Because I'm done with work! :)

More news & random thoughts as they come. The next 4 weeks are going to FLY by...

4 Weeks

Well, here it is. As promised, a blog to track my big adventure, now less than 4 weeks away.

For my first blog, I apologize for the awkwardness, as I haven't done this in a while. So... let's start with some background.

Where am I going?

I am going to be living in a small town outside Geneva in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

I'll be living in Celingy in a little 1904 house which was just completely renovated last year, in my own room with private bathroom. It's a small town, built in the 17th Century and was the last home of Richard Burton (An Ex-ex-Mr. Elizabeth Taylor) who is buried there. It is also famous for its WINE. Shucks...

Who am I living with?

I'll be living with the Ruefenacht family. Daniel and Solveig (the parents) both work for large corporations full time and both have travel related with their work. Daniel used to be a politician for "Pro-Environmental" causes and now works as the VP of Corporate Sustainbility with a firm located in Geneva. Solveig works for a "Monster" (as she calls it, we'd consider it more a Mega) Corporation "Japan Tabacco"- at the moment I don't know exactly what her job entails but since we began communication in October, she's traveled to Japan, Korea & France. Both Daniel & Solveig speak English fluently, French fluently AND German fluently. I wouldn't be surprised if another language was on the table as well.

Perhaps even more interesting are the children. Benjamin (4) and Melchoir (also known as Kiki & Mel - we'll see what he wants me to call him) - Melchoir is 2.5. Both kids are either bilingual or beginning to be. (As bilingual as a child can be when learning language in general for the first time). My job will be to care for them (I'll go into a few more details as I have them in a second). Both boys attend school and enjoy playing games, indoors & out and "emptying the chocolate cupboard" as described in their Lettre de Noel this year. I am to speak to the children in English, to strengthen their skills (not sure I'll be the best demonstration of proper English!). Benjamin understands most English, but will only answer in French so it will be interesting to say the least. Melchoir has begun bilingual French/English kindergarten/pre-school and is being immersed in both languages simultaneously.

While I'll be in Switzerland, home of 4 national languages, it's own unique currency (despite being smack-dab inside the EU & therefore the Euro's domain) and some large international companies I'll be near Geneva, a city (and Canton, which is the Swiss version of a state/province or district) which is home to a LARGE expat community and full of English speakers, among other languages. According to one statistic I read nearly 42% of Geneva's population are non-Swiss.

A closer town (although I'm only about 30 minutes from Geneva) is Nyon. This is where I'll be taking language courses (in French) and likely to start really venturing on my own.

What am I doing there?

I'm going to be an Au-Pair (live-in nanny) and care for Ben & Kiki during the day. My routine is pretty structured and in a very friendly format. Every weekday morning, I'll get up around 7am to help get the boys dressed for school & fed breakfast. The parents drive the kids to school on their way to work so by 8:30 I'm alone in the house for a couple hours to do some "light" housework. (and by "light" I mean light - laundry, dishes, keeping the children's rooms tidy and in order, etc. - no toilets, no scrubbing.... for that a housekeeper comes twice a week to keep those in order). After a few hours of work in the morning, twice a week on Tues/Thurs I'll drive myself to Nyon (in my "own" car which I am able to use for personal use as well as while "on-duty") for language courses. Around 4, I'll pick the kids up from their respective schools and bring them home, where we'll play, have dinner and get ready for bed (bath & jammies). Parents are home usually by 7pm and after the kids get to bed, the three of us will sit & have a glass of wine & discuss the day. Tough huh? On Wednesdays the boys are off from school, so we'll have a full day of fun together. We can walk to the beach on Lake Geneva (which is only 3-4 minutes away by foot). Play outside in the open areas near their home or go on little mini-trips. Monday & Fridays I'll have free time between my chores & the children's return from school. Twice a week I may be asked to babysit while they go out. My weekends however are FREE. I'll be able to just go explore Geneva, go on weekend trips to Paris or Amsterdam, or if I choose (but should never feel obligated) join the family in their activities - including weekends at their flat in the Alps. Damn. Pretty terrible, huh? ;)

Not only will I be allowed to travel, but in fact my future family is encouraging me to do so. Along with room & board I will be receiving a generous stipend, allowing me to travel as I wish. With Paris only 3.5 hours away by train and Barcelona only 8 I will have plenty of places to go to. Along with that, the Swiss government requires I receive 4 weeks PAID vacation, these dates have been predetermined by the family but fall pretty evenly throughout my year commitment. Two weeks off begin August 1st which is the Swiss National Day (Independence day) when I'll be able to visit home and enjoy the best of Seattle (both weather-wise & people-wise).

My commitment is for 1 year, which is what my visa is valid for. I have a work-visa and will also have to pay Swiss taxes & into Swiss Social Security (but that means that I may get some money back from Switzerland when I turn 65 - and the chances of getting anything from US Social Security seems to be dwindling with ever baby-boomer who reaches that magical age - and there are a LOT of them! So I'll take every penny I can!)

So here I am. 27 days to go and the to-do list is ever growing. But here's one thing to mark off.

The goal of this blog will be to share my experiences with those I care about & those who care about me. It will bring you up to date on my adventures (in theory) and be a place for me to post pictures of the beauty that is western Europe.

I'm practicing my yodeling already and I'm fully prepared to break out with a giant horn and shout "Ricola" when I get there.

Feel free to email me if you feel like you want more specifics. During these next few weeks of procrastination, packing & turning 21 I'll do my best to get back to you.

Love & Best Wishes for 2010 -

Mattie

PS - the name of this blog comes from a couple people. Matticus was a nickname given to me in middle school and sort of stuck. And then I was known as Miss Matticus (or Miss Mattie) with much of my work with children. However, if it wasn't for a dear friend & neighbor of my parents John Cross, the Swiss Miss portion would have taken longer to come about. Swiss Miss hot chocolate was in my stocking this year - although I'm looking forward to some much better Swiss chocolate soon.

Nyon, Switzerland - where I will be attending French courses.