October 2011
2 posts
A couple of tense days
So, after the euphoria of receiving my resident’s permit, I hit a pretty major bump in the moving-to-Sweden process.
If you recall, I interviewed at the Swedish Consulate in Chicago in March. What I didn’t know at the time was that they were going to implement a new procedure that began in May.
In the past, when approved for a resident’s permit, one was given a sticker to...
A Celebration
Although the actual “card” is not in my hand yet, I’m thrilled to share with you that I received word from the Swedish Embassy in D.C. this morning that my Resident Permit was approved!
*chair dances*
As anyone following this blog is aware, a lot of planning, paperwork, and perseverance went into this endeavor. Mimi and I are both incredibly excited, and although we were given...
September 2011
1 post
A brief look at Årsta
Hi all — Long time no post.
Things are rolling along; my legal name change is supposed to occur this week, as well as a possible last trip to my general practitioner.
While I’m waiting for the wheels to turn, I thought I might introduce you to the area of Stockholm where I’ll be living: Årsta (pronounced OAR-shta).
Årsta is considered a district within the city of Stockholm....
August 2011
2 posts
More light at the end of the tunnel
Great news on the visa process — Mimi found out the name and phone number of the migration board officer handling my application and managed to have quite the satisfactory conversation with him yesterday!
“Anders” (as we’ll call him to protect his privacy) said that he had already marked my application as “preliminarily approved.” The only reason it’s...
As the world turns...
Although it may not seem directly related to the moving process, I experienced a couple of significant events over the last two weeks that fell into that “when a door closes, a window opens” category.
First off, a former co-worker and someone I thought was a close friend here in town decided it was time to abruptly end our friendship, telling me so in a very brief and somewhat vague...
July 2011
1 post
Mid-summer update
It’s been a while since I posted here…
I spent a fantastic two-week vacation with Mimi. We enjoyed two U2 concerts in the midst of a tour of the Mid-South. The trip included Graceland, Sun Studios, fun on Beale Street, river cruises, and a lot of good eating. I won’t go into a great deal more detail because my main focus for this blog is the Swedish migration process, but you should be able to...
June 2011
3 posts
Another run towards the end zone
Yesterday I walked out of my apartment of 9 years with the last load.
I really did love that place; it was homey and historic with its slanted ceilings and over-the-door transom windows. My two beloved cats allowed me to live there with them before leaving me for their next lives. My landlady has also been a friend — flexible when finances were tight and was always concerned for my...
May 2011
7 posts
More progress!
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Mimi received her letter from the Swedish Migration Board informing her that I’d applied for a resident visa and enclosed a lengthy form for her to complete.
Being the efficient person she is, she had the information in the mail to them the following day. And today she got confirmation that they had received her parcel.
Yay!
Another step closer
So Mimi got a letter today from the Swedish Migration Board saying that this American person has applied for a residence permit to live with her, and would she please fill in this T77 form and return it along with some additional documents within 4 weeks.
YAY! \O/
The letter - as expected - contains a great deal of formality and a request for more information. It was a nice touch, however,...
amberkb asked: Do you think you'll miss Iowa?
Confusing format
To StroppyGirl: I can’t figure out how to answer your question as a post — it didn’t show up as a message to easily answer. The answer is that I have no problem with you reblogging. As a matter of fact, I’m flattered, thanks!
PS - If you’re smarter than I am and have figured out a solution to the above, clue me in, eh?
jim-evie asked: What is a U2?
April 2011
5 posts
Hardcore Moving
So, as I sit and procrastinate before attacking the 1,734,293 items in my apartment, it occured to me that I could justify this procrastination by writing about the moving process.
I have moved many, many times. It is a tedious, unpleasant and excruciating experience. Even the promise of an exciting new city, new job, or new house doesn’t make the process any more exciting. You have to ask...
Interview
So… the primary question after returning from the interview for the resident permit was “How did it go?”
The simple answer is “just fine.” The more descriptive answer is that it was challenging, nerve-racking and a definite introduction to doing business with the Swedes. Let me take you back a month.
In order to obtain permission to live in Sweden, one must apply...
stroppygirl asked: Did you have some delicious deep-dish Chicago pizza? DETAILS, woman.
Leaving in two hours for Chicago and my resident’s permit appointment with the Swedish Consulate tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!
Here it begins.
Welcome to my new blog, wherein I attempt to chronicle my upcoming journey from the US to Sweden. Tumblr doesn’t seem to be the most user-friendly format but forgive my user-errors as I learn as I go.
The blame/credit for this huge undertaking lies with U2. Yes, the band.
Approximately 5 1/2 years ago, I was reading and occasionally contributing to an online forum about the band....
