"To Do" List for Leaving the Country

It's the season for making lists, and Bill and I have checked off a lot of things from a lot of lists.

One big thing on the list was Bill's iquama, or work permit, which he obtained fairly quickly after his arrival in Saudi Arabia. This is a critical document since we needed that to apply for my visa. Immediately upon my return from North Carolina where I spent Thanksgiving, I sent a copy of Bill's iquama, together with my passport, medical reports, several photos, marriage license, criminal history report (which reports "no criminal history," just for the record), pre-paid airbill and money order to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. With any luck, I will get my passport back with the visa stamp I need to travel to Jeddah.

I had a long list of items to complete before leaving Salt Lake for Boulder, CO where I am staying with Bill's sister, Marcy. I really had no idea it would all take so much time or be so stressful. The shipment of our sea freight turned out to be the most problematic task, though the pet importation process is running as a close second-place contender.

We thought we would have no problem staying under the 837 lb. weight limit since we took only one piece of furniture: Bill's roll top desk. With that coming in at 170 lbs, my collection of heavy pots and pans, cookware, silverware, dishes, bath rugs and towels, not to mention clothes, shoes and bedding had just a 667 lb. allowance remaining.

The dog toys almost missed the boat, but since I had picked up new, dog-thrilling toys specifically for my favorite dog, and since I was warned dog toys are tough to find, I found room for 15 lbs of dog products in order to keep Wally happy once we arrive at our destination. How could I leave behind the new tough-sewn octopus or the brand new "genius" kong?

I had to cull books, my Kitchen Aid mixer, a heavy stock pot, several prints, a much-loved mirror and a not-very-much-loved vacuum. I am trying to concentrate on the victories of the packing and everything that did get to go and how happy I will be to see some of our things once the shipment arrives. And some of the books are going to end up going in my luggage after all.