Learning experience of the day: even when you order home delivery from Ikea, you have to actually pick up all the stuff yourself.

Used to the hellhole that is the Washington Dulles arrival facility I was surprised by the fantastic efficiency of my arrival direct to Philadelphia. I made it from the plane to the hire car in under 45 mins after breezing through immigration.

Basking in this good fortune I thought I’d pop into Ikea with my shopping list and order all my stuff for delivery.

How wrong I was. Even when you want it delivered, you still have to actually pick the stuff off the shelves (yes even big stuff – in this case, a sofa, two armchairs, and two beds) stick it on a trolly and wheel it through checkout then wheel it all the way down the corridor to the delivery people. Tricky at the best of times – just don’t try it on your own!

So I’ve finally done it – I’ve moved to the US. It has been on the horizon as a possible future for so long I can hardly believe I’m doing it

I have mixed feelings about the move. One the one hand I’m excited about the new challenges and the adventure of it all. On the other hand I’m leaving behind all my friends and family to move to somewhere I don’t know anyone. Also, I know it will be tough, certainly for the first few months as I settle in.

Well they don’t make it easy at the Embassy. I knew I’d have to wait, so I showed up with some food, some reading material and my most patient disposition.

What I hadn’t realised was that I’d have to wait OUTDOORS. I stood in a queue that didn’t move for 3 hours – that was just to get inside the building. And it was raining. HARD. In fact hard enough to soak me even wearing Gore Tex.

Fortunately I didn’t pay atttention to the recommendation to dress smartly – there were plenty of guys with sharp suits with ever expaning tide marks up the legs. Each of my mini – meetings involved me dripping quietly while they pushed the paper around. Anything they gave me to hold was instantly turned into mush. During the 4.5 hours I was there I spent approx 2 mins in total dealing with people.
But I now have a visa. Hilariously in the photograph I look like a drowned rat.

It has taken a while but I’m back up and running.