Almost moving...

Where does all the time go, I wonder? I am sure I am not the only one who has this problem - the time just seems to slip away while I am not looking. And where on earth (or elsewhere for that matter) did it go? How do people get time to do all the things they need to do and still have the excess time and energy to do the things they want to do? Or even just do beyond the bare minimum?

Well, as fate wanted it, I have been given some extra time! Ok, not really, but that is what it feels like. We were supposed to make our BIG move from Jerusalem to South Africa this past Sunday. But, despite the fact that the container with all our stuff went a month ago, and we have been in touch with and handing in papers to the embassy for what seems forever - we are still waiting for all the paperwork to go through at the embassy, and so - we are still in Jerusalem. The embassy has been given a good 7 centimeters high stack of papers, all originals or notarized translations of originals of course, consisting of our police records from three continents, college records, diplomas, affidavits, work contracts, personal statements, recommendation letters etc etc, and our PASSPORTS. So now, after calling and emailing them to find out what is happening, we are waiting for them to go through our stack of papers, which probably is located in some stack of other similar looking applications for work, study and visit permits...

But, of course, we have to be able to smile about some of the things that happen along the way in this process. Like how the embassy was closed on Friday because the elevator in the building they are located in didn't work. I am not sure why they didn't use the stairs... Maybe they are just for decorative purposes?

So, in the meantime we are still in Jerusalem, enjoying some extra time with friends, who by now might be getting slightly weary of saying good bye to us. We hope the work permits will come through within the next three weeks, but we have no idea when, and so we are living a bit on the edge. It is really stressful to not know what is happening. But for now, I know, we will not be going before Sunday, and so I have a little time to relax and actually get used to the idea of living almost 19 hours direct flight path from my parents and family, it is even within the same time zone! I have been given the time to let my brain and soul catch up with what my body has been doing for months - getting ready to move. This past week, we were packing up the last things, making sure all bills were paid and borrowed things were returned to their owners. But, was I ready to move, mentally? I am not so sure, all the things I had to do took precedence over the things which were optional. Now, with this extra time, I sit here in our living room and I am mentally preparing myself. Of course, I would have been ready and all would have been fine if we had arrived in South Africa today. I do believe however, that my soul will have an easier transition this way.