Opening comments

Welcome to my blogging adventure.

I have accepted an assignment in Paris and will leave in ~30 days? For a number of reasons my wife and I decided I should go first. My wife will come over after Christmas. Before she comes I need to get the apartment ready, bank accounts set and determine the lay of the land. Not to mention I have to work. The job will be primarily in Paris, but my job will have me/us spending considerable time around the Mediterranean Sea countries.

As we prepare for my move, I'm coming to realize there is a lot more to this then what I have been used to. I've traveled around the world for many years. I've been on the road for 12-15 days at a time. But now, it will be 2 or 3 months before I'm back in the U.S. I'm not sure what to take, how to get it there or when to start. And my French speaking skills are extremely limited.

Of course we complicate this by having the kids stay behind (2 in college, 1 pursuing a career). We both have older parents and family we are leaving behind. That's a topic for another time. For now I need to figure out how I get there while my wife stays home as an "empty nester".

I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy to read about this adventure and will provide advise on how to survive.