It's now April and there is only a little over two months before I vacate my apartment, and three months before I leave the country.
Time to kick my location independence plan into serious gear.
I've been researching visas for the past few days (thanks to the forum members helping to enlighten me on visas - you know who you are). My family members have been concern trolling me about this stuff, but I just smile and nod and say I have it all taken care of.
Now here's a tentative schedule that I'm mapping out for the next few months.
April
* Research and fully understand visa options for countries of interest
* Give 60 day vacate notice to apartment
May
* Get a full physical and make sure immunizations are up to date
* Finish selling off all possessions and all furniture, donate what I couldn't sell
* Sign up for new mail scanning service
* Send in 2-3 week notice to my company
* Book flights and apply for visa at consulate (45 days prior to departure)
June
* Buy a new health / travel insurance plan if needed
* Start forwarding mail to mail scanning service address
* Get visa paperwork in order and make photocopies
* Vacate apartment and stay with relatives
* Sell the car
July
* Cancel or suspend auto insurance
* Cancel all bills or subscriptions no longer needed
* Spend time with Mom
* Finally, get the hell outta here!
A couple of wild cards that could throw my schedule off a bit...
- I'm still waiting for insurance to approve coverage for my new hearing device and it's been 6 weeks and no word from them. Don't want to leave my job to soon and end up on the hook due to cancelling insurance via quitting job too early. Shouldn't be a problem because there's still plenty of time, but it is cutting it a little close.
- I want to apply for the visa as soon as possible, and from what I've read, I can do it no more than 45 days before departure. So I will do it here in Houston 45 days before because I plan to go to Dallas and Virginia to spend time with family before I go. I wouldn't want to have to fly back to Houston to pick up the papers or something if the consulate drags their feet. The alternative is to apply in Dallas and then pick it up there when I go stay with relatives in late June.
Time to kick my location independence plan into serious gear.
I've been researching visas for the past few days (thanks to the forum members helping to enlighten me on visas - you know who you are). My family members have been concern trolling me about this stuff, but I just smile and nod and say I have it all taken care of.
Now here's a tentative schedule that I'm mapping out for the next few months.
April
* Research and fully understand visa options for countries of interest
* Give 60 day vacate notice to apartment
May
* Get a full physical and make sure immunizations are up to date
* Finish selling off all possessions and all furniture, donate what I couldn't sell
* Sign up for new mail scanning service
* Send in 2-3 week notice to my company
* Book flights and apply for visa at consulate (45 days prior to departure)
June
* Buy a new health / travel insurance plan if needed
* Start forwarding mail to mail scanning service address
* Get visa paperwork in order and make photocopies
* Vacate apartment and stay with relatives
* Sell the car
July
* Cancel or suspend auto insurance
* Cancel all bills or subscriptions no longer needed
* Spend time with Mom
* Finally, get the hell outta here!
A couple of wild cards that could throw my schedule off a bit...
- I'm still waiting for insurance to approve coverage for my new hearing device and it's been 6 weeks and no word from them. Don't want to leave my job to soon and end up on the hook due to cancelling insurance via quitting job too early. Shouldn't be a problem because there's still plenty of time, but it is cutting it a little close.
- I want to apply for the visa as soon as possible, and from what I've read, I can do it no more than 45 days before departure. So I will do it here in Houston 45 days before because I plan to go to Dallas and Virginia to spend time with family before I go. I wouldn't want to have to fly back to Houston to pick up the papers or something if the consulate drags their feet. The alternative is to apply in Dallas and then pick it up there when I go stay with relatives in late June.