I actually wrote this on March 9th, but just got a chance to post it today, the 13th.
You’ve heard the saying, “Wherever you go, there you are”? I find it to be true. I live in Europe, specifically Portugal. I don’t feel as different as I expected to. Plenty of “stuff” is different, really different, but I don’t feel very different. Maybe because I’ve been too busy with the logistics of it all? Maybe I’ll know the answer shortly as the list of things to be coordinated shrinks and after I go back to NC on Tuesday for a week. I’ll letcha know.
Known things to be done:
Tomorrow (March 10)! At long last we have our appointment with Portugal’s immigration office, the Portuguese acronym for the office is AIMA. We’re scheduled at 09:30 and 10:30. It’s here in Faro. We’re a lot luckier than a lot of people. Our appointments were set when we got the visas in our passports. Many people have to spend hours and hours calling and emailing to just get an appointment. Our appointments are in the town where we live on the same date and one after the other. A lot of people, often with more family members, are scheduled on the same date and time but in totally different towns from each other. Or ey might be in different towns on different days. In general it’s hard to get an appointment in the first place, you really don’t want to cancel and try to reschedule.
I will need to take the train to Lisbon later tomorrow because I’m flying to Charlotte, mainly for my niece’s wedding (16th), but I also have a number of things to take care of.
Send our application for a “Baggage Certificate” to the Portuguese consulate in DC. This will allow us to receive the stuff we’re shipping to Portugal to arrive without our having to pay customs duty on it.
Switch my US phone number from AT&T to Verizon. I’m hopeful that this may solve my complete cluster-fuck of a situation since losing my previous phone.
Secure certified copies of our driving records. Got to have that raised seal. Then I have to get those to the Secretary of State. All this because once we have our residency, we have a limited window of time in which we are required to exchange our NC licenses for Portuguese licenses. The timing is because we are over 60. The reason to do it at all is because I’m sure we’ll rent a car from time to time. If we happen to get stopped any time, we will have to show our Residency cards and driver’s licenses. If they don’t match…. PROBLEM!
2024 taxes to get done and submit.
Purchase some essentials (like Duke’s Mayo).
Deliver a t-shirt Scott bought for a friend at the 2 Buck Saloon
Buy shoes to wear to the wedding, also some clothes if what I ordered doesn’t show up at Hope’s in time. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about the timing issues when I was deciding what to keep, what to take, what to ship…
Comentários