Showing posts with label new beginnings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new beginnings. Show all posts

Friday, 2 March 2012

July-September 2011: Recap of my Life!

After my wedding things got a bit boring around here. Sam went back to working all week which left me stuck in the house jobless. I didn't mind at times because I got out of the house to hangout with my sister in law and her kids which is always fun! But around June sometime I started gathering documents up for my Spousal Visa which I took in person to the public enquiry office and it got approved on July 18,2011 which just so happened to be the day my sister-in-law gave birth to a healthy gorgeous boy Charlie :) With this new visa which is good until 2013 I can work legally, then before it expires I will have to renew it and get my last visa here which is Indefinite Leave to Remain, and I can't wait to finally have that and not worry about my stay here! Once I was told I could work legally I quickly started looking for jobs after I applied for my National Insurance Number. However, to this very day I am still jobless! There is just nothing in this little old market town, NADA! I go insane some days because I have always had a job since I was in high school and to be out of work for this past year, has been really rough and tough, especially on my poor American bank account.

Speaking of bank accounts, I opened a joint account here right after I got that 2nd visa. However, that account has a balance of 0 since I have no job! And they won't let me open my own bank account until I have a job, fair enough. 

I also registered with a GP and a dentist after that visa. It's cool to compare doctors from here and America (I swear though, I've been sick here more times in the matter of a few months than I have ever been in my whole life). Things I have noticed:

  • In America, I always liked my doctors. However, before I moved over my last American doctor lost my freaking blood sample and that meant no blood test results for me. That pissed me off. I thought to myself how can someone just lose my blood?
  • In the UK here, I do think my doctor's office is a bit loopy here. They messed up my birth date on the system, so I brought in my birth certificate when they asked to see it again. This week when I went there to pick up a prescription they still had my birthday wrong !""$"£%$^$^^  ..Hopefully they fix it soon it's really annoying..
  • I felt the wait in the waiting room here in the UK is very quick. Every time I've been to a doctor in America I've waited for up to 30 minutes or more.
  • I love the NHS. I can't really say I've had any special treatments or surgery anywhere in my life .:KNOCKS ON WOOD:. so I can not compare treatments or anything but I like how cheap prescriptions are and some were free for me. Which in the US would have cost me a lot of money. 
  • My dentist in America was nice and good..My dentist here is nice and good and was really pleased with how good my teeth are! Yay :D And there's an option to go to a private dentist here but you have to pay for that. I'm not sure what the difference is besides better service/treatment but my check-up went fine the other week so I'll still with my NHS dentist.. 
That's about all I have noticed so far really so quite impressed I guess and I hope my impressions stay that way forever.

I can't remember anything else I applied for and did after my visa was issued. But yeah just the basics! In September I applied for my provisional license.

Then in mid September my hubby took part along with his friend Craig, in the Great North Run up at Newcastle. I went with them, and it was my first time up North in Newcastle and I had a brilliant time! I love the city, and the people were very lively and nice. I was really glad also because one of Sam's other friend took part in the race and his sister who is a few years older than me was with him which meant I had a buddy to tag along with during the race. It was a lot of fun and it was so hot that day! I also made a cameo on the TV when we watched it back the next day it wasn't too clear but it was clear enough. Also, Sam was seen on camera towards the end of the race just after he crossed the finish line, woo hoo! Lol I can't remember what he came in but it was extremely good for his first big race.



In August we attended his mother's friend's wedding.

At the end of August at the beach with Cat and Stu, Cat and I bought kites to fly. Lol I look like a little kiddy there!

Really nice scenery in Wales on the way home from the beach.

Up in Newcastle for the Great North Run!

The hotel that we stayed at, it was on a golf course. Real pretty!

Morning of the race!
Runners getting set!

Red Arrows

There they go!

Down at the finish line. A very proud wife I was!

Tynemouth Priory and Castle which is right on a cliff on the sea. Really pretty!





Thursday, 9 February 2012

No turning back now ...

Sorry for the delay in posting. My husband is currently making a gaming website and since we only have one laptop he spends all of his free time on it hogging it from me.

So as I previously mentioned my fiance visa was granted in February 2011..Within days of receiving it I booked a plane ticket to move to England for the 14th of March 2011. My mom was freaking out because she wanted to throw me a bridal shower before I moved. She got super busy planning it and it happened on the weekend before I moved! It was a bridal shower/ going away party. It was a blast and I am so thankful for all of my family and friends who showed up. The presents were so wonderful and thoughtful,  I truly appreciated it. It was all special thanks to my mom and dad, they threw a fantastic party that I will always cherish. <3

The 14th of March came around quickly and it was a busy day before my 7pm flight from NJ to the UK. I really can't describe what was floating around my head, but I will try. I was super excited because I had not seen Sam in like 7/ 8 months which was too long to me. I was excited to move to a new place. I was happy thinking of what our wedding was going to be like. I was anxious to see all my friends here in England. I was nervous to fly because flying alone is quite nerve wracking, maybe not for some but for me it is! I was upset because I was leaving behind 21 years of life in America. I was sad to say goodbye because goodbyes suck! I felt bad for my family because they love me and loved seeing me every single day and now they are only going to see me every few months. It was hard to let go of everything but I kept telling myself it would all be okay because it will be. In time things will feel better, it will feel like home for me here and NJ is only a 6 and a half hour plane ride away. I might as well have been moving to Cali. So yeah that is basically how I felt the day I moved. 
I don't have much else to say. Nothing new is going on in my life at the moment, except I got glasses! I was a little iffy about it at first, I needed glasses as a kid but hated them. I am glad I got them now though. Well, check out my blog as I'll be soon posting about what it was like when I moved over here in March, details of my non-royal wedding, and my hectic job searching that never seems to end :(
Here are some photos from the bridal shower/ going away party, enjoy!

My pretty engagement ring :)
The money tree for my guests to put their cards onto :)

My yummy big cookie cake
Me and my best friend Kelly who is also my Maid of Honor <3

Good friends

Rosani and I!
I miss these girls!

One of my gifts, a book about the royal family! lol

Bride and Groom pillowcases :)

Drink sleeves that resemble a tux and a wedding gown
Picture with family from my dad's side <3
Family from my mom's side <3
Like mothers, like daughters xox
My amazing parents who I love loads xoxo