Gotta make it 2 weeks :-(

My husband leaves in the morning for the UK, grad school.

Myself and our 3 children will join him in 2 weeks. 

In our 11 years we've never been apart, and always just a cell phone call away, so this will be hard. I don't know when he'll have access to a phone or internet!

And since we sold ALL our furniture and put everything else in storage, except our king size bed...the house is freaky empty. It's just going to be me, the kids, and a huge bed in a 1400 square foot house.  Lots of echos.

I plan on spending the days visiting all my family (7 brothers and 4 sisters) and friends (I was raised in this town of 4 thousand people) one last time. But the nights are going to be hard.  :\\\'(

Belfast is going to be a HUGE change for me as I'm a country girl. 

Anyone have any advice for getting though these next 2 weeks? Or ideas on what we should do "One last time" before we go? Eat a lot of take out since we won't be able to afford it over there? LOL

The time is going to fly past! I promise 

You are going to have so much to do and you will be running around like a headless chicken getting "last minute" things..saying goodbye to people...organising your kids etc.. Two weeks is not really that long at all.

When he gets here...see if he can find a Eurocity phonecard..if not..he can get one on the net.  They cost about 5 pounds..he can call you from any landline or payphone then for about 5 hours talktime 

Is your camera packed?  If not, take LOTS of pictures.  And the phone card is a very good idea.  Most libraries have computers available for public use so maybe your husband can find one and keep in touch via email at least once a day.
Hang in there justmary, I'm sure your two weeks will be busy and pass quicker than you think.  Best wishes to you and your family in this great new adventure.    

The Post Office has good international calling cards, too.

Belfast is a lovely little city and it's not too hard to get out into the country. There are some great parks in the city, too, especially the Botanic Gardens next to Queen's and the Lagan Meadows nature reserve. I enjoyed living there, and I hope you will too!

It'll suck, but it will definitely go faster than you think, especially with your little ones and all the visiting you have planned.

One thing I've done when DB and I were long distance and had to go a week without talking (he was on a vacation with no cell reception or e-mail access) was send him e-mails every day myself, so I felt like it was talking to him about my day and he had some nice e-mails and updates when he was finally able to check it. You could do it as a journal with you and the kids saying stuff if that would work better since all your stuff is gone. If your kids are too young to write, they could draw and you could write for them.

I'm not sure if you'll see this in time, but another thing I've done was write DB little note cards and he was only allowed to open one per day. It would just be a quick note to say I loved him and was thinking of him. I'd also count down how many more days until we could be together. I put on dark lipstick and sealed each with a kiss. 

Enjoy your final two weeks in the States!

Great ideas, thanks! We both have Skype and laptops so I hope he can get to the library at least once a day.

We leave in 30 minutes for the airport!

I sure do hope these next 2 weeks go by fast!

My husband, Jason and I didn't go to bed last night, out last night together and all. ("Wink, wink, say no more.")

At 4am we woke the kids, loaded up his bags, and left. The kids fell back asleep.

I made it 15 minutes before the puking started. I always get car sick but this time was 100 times worse. I couldn't stop. And than as I saw how freaking far out the airport was (I've never been.) I started to freak out because I am not a driver, I do fine around our small town but anything else - not so much. And it was so foggy!

We got to the airport late, at 7am, and his plane was leaving at 7:45 so he just pulled up to the front, we got out and got his bags, he gave us each a hug, told me "Just stay on 264 until you see the I540 and take exit 64, which comes out by your mom's and you can get home from there", kissed me and ran to the gate. While I stood there next to the car, in the fog, trying not to throw up, and bawled. lol

I got back in the car and thank god the kids had fallen back asleep. Following 264 back to the interstate wasn't to bad, except for the fog. But, OMG!, the interstate! I never drive over 55 on a good day, so there I was putting along with all the cars zooming by me flipping me off and honking and no where to pull over to throw up. Not fun. It was just horrible.

But I made it and got to the exit but the exit had 2 ways to turn and I ended up in the wrong one and had to go the the wrong way for a while until I found a place to turn around. An than another OMG, there was more construction. There were cones EVERYWHERE but no workers and no signs and I had no idea which road to take and ended up going down a one way with cars coming at me!!!! Lots of honking and people yelling at me but I finally got out of there and on the right road.

And made it home. I was never so happy to see home. I felt so much better just walking the door and it made me think. Will I ever feel that way about our apartment in Ireland? Will that feel like home?

And how in gods name am I going to make it 15 hours on a plane with the blasted motion sickness!!!

Jason called me after his first flight to make sure we had made it home ok, he had worried the whole flight about me driving home. He only had a second so I didn't get to talk, just know that he made it to his first stop ok.

I miss him already.  :\\\'(

 
Try to think of it as a great big adventure, something to tell your grandchildren someday. 

Try to think of it as a great big adventure, something to tell your grandchildren someday. 

For sure!

I just keep thinking about all the castles we get to see!

Awww, it will go quick!  Enjoy your last bit of time in the states and you'll be back with hubby soon.
This is a great grand adventure and you, your hubby, and your kids will love it!