So as some of you are aware my employer is moving me to the US
It's been a while in the works, they decided having me closer would make the visiting customers thing a mite easier rather than an 12h plane journey it'll be a short drive or an hour or so's plane journey.
They've been toying with the idea for about the past two years but towards the end of 2009 they finally got serious and began sorting things out and early this year I got the initial package details and this morning I spent two hours at the US Embassy sorting out my L1 visa.
As things stand I'm set for a 2 to 3 trail period under the visa then they would pursue permanent residency or move me back to the same job I have now depending on my choice
I had very mixed feeling about agreeing to going and it took a lot of thought to arrive at a yes decision. The whole issue of moving out there is something that is both interesting and scary for me it's going to be 6000 miles from home and rather than a few weeks in a hotel I'll be a regular living working person. It means I probably won't see you lot quite so often and giving up some of the regular things we do like fishcon and games days but on the other hand it's a superb opportunity that probably won't come again to live in a wonderful part of the world.
As to when I disappear off to the US I don't know as yet, they obviously want me out there asap and I suspect will start pileing on the pressure once the visa comes back but there is a hell of a lot to organise before I could leave so I don't think it'll be for a month or two yet. The internets will undoubtedly keep us all in touch and no doubt I'll be back in the UK to visit at some stage.
To sort of record the experience of moving out there I've started another blog just for that you can find it at http://ourmaninca.wordpress.com/
So far it covers the tedious process of getting this far and I'll probably add something about my visit to the embassy later
Comments
Sorry to see you head off, sir but I'm excited for you at the same time. I'll be following your progress with great interest! We WILL be having a leaving do for you.
Have aggregated the feed and will update the skin to make better use of the 'p' tag.
Wow. Big decisions.
Sorry to see you go, but don't think you'll get rid of us that easily :-) We all keep wierd enough times that we can still do online malarky at the very least.
Personally I think its cool. Where in the US do you get to move to?
I know its been in the works a while, but in a way that made it more of a surprise.
Will be sorry to see you head off... the Badger will have to become transatlantic... And don't think a mere 7 hour time difference is a good enough excuse to get out of left4dead sessions ;)
You were right, took less than an hour for Rob to aggregate the blog here :D
Keep us posted, and keep after them to sort out the borderline crappy relocation part of the package.
Wow.
Well, obviously, we'll miss seeing you around, but I think you've made the right call - it's a great opportunity. Especially since it sounds like you have a get-out card. So congrats on it all. I will see you before you scoot, so proper congratulations and beer-buying will wait until then. :)
Echoing the thoughts of those above, its a big move but a wonderful opportunity. Hope it goes well for you man!
It my intention to get back to Cali at some point before I day so will have to look you up if I do. :) In the mean time I look forward to transatlantic jousting on a variety of topics. Cons won't be the same man!
You might like to hook up with Yeti (Jim Wyatt), an ex-Cyber chap who spends a lot of time in CA.
Good Luck, sounds cool, but it sucks for us.
I'll be based in the bay area near San Francisco. Our corporate office is in Sunnyvale about an hour down from SF.
Yeti I remember him, I remember arguing with him about some practical we did for ages though I can't remember why or what the practical was about. Tim also turned up with him and ben in didcot randomly.
One of my old reading first year house mates is living in berkley at the moment he's a prof at UC Davis.
Two people and me makes Three and that's a pattern! Maybe California is a magnet for Reading graduates :S
I've no doubt I'll see you all again at some point one night when you least expect it ...
I can get you in touch with Yeti no probs.