Filing in March

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

So out of curiosity where are we all going when we get the process done and dusted ???

I'm the USC and own a house south of Houston TX, so the Brit SO will be settling here. He's been here a bunch and loves Tex-Mex food, jalapeno peppers, Wal-Mart, and the way everyone has been so friendly to him. He has some Wrangler jeans, a cowboy hat, and cowboy boots. Now he just needs a pick-up truck. LOL (No we don't wear those things, but he thinks it's fun because that's supposed to be Texas)

Ya'll come down and see us.

[pandora 0]

So out of curiosity where are we all going when we get the process done and dusted ???

I'm the USC and own a house south of Houston TX, so the Brit SO will be settling here. He's been here a bunch and loves Tex-Mex food, jalapeno peppers, Wal-Mart, and the way everyone has been so friendly to him. He has some Wrangler jeans, a cowboy hat, and cowboy boots. Now he just needs a pick-up truck. LOL (No we don't wear those things, but he thinks it's fun because that's supposed to be Texas)

Ya'll come down and see us.

That sounds like so much fun have a lot of online friends in TX so may take you up on that

[aleena 0]

I will be living in Maryland also

Already spent 14 months at the beach in Ocean City...that's where i met my baby.

we are probably staying there for the summer and then move somewhere around Baltimore.

Oh i miss the beach so much!!!!!

but i miss my baby more....

[erintoronto 0]

try waiting for the CSC's 3 to 4 months before a 1st touch after the NOA1

yup. 49 days and counting since our NOA1 and no touches or anything. BUT it's still early in the process given it could take 6 months for CSC to deal with it. *deep breath*

i agree with nich in saying 'at least you've started the process'. we just all need to remember to count down and remember the days between now and then are fewer and fewer.

Erin...so sorry your weekend didn't go very well...

what you are going through is not at all unfamiliar to any of us on this forum...

and the most important thing is that we can really understand each other...

i am trying to think that this is the hardest part ...and once we are together everything will be as it should..

but that is not entirely true either... Hard times can come up when you least expect it...

one single thing is true about this whole story... and that is our LOVE...and i know that this is what keeps us going the whole way... K1 process and everything after...

and i am sure all af us feel the same even if us girls are the "weak" ones ...lol... getting over stressed...crying ...worrying...lol

my baby helps a lot with his ever positive attitute ... he always sees things in perspective and never worries about little stuff like i do... Truth is he is a lot more mature than i am... and there is also a significant age differeence between us...

But i love that he makes me be more realistic...and down to earth... Even though deep inside me everything is a mess...i know that is not the way to handle it...and i am doing my best to stay positive

God...it's only been 2 days and already miss him so.....

david is 12 years my senior and definitely has a lot more life experience. i don't think he's any more mature than i am though he's just been through more than i have so knows when something is worth getting worked up about (or not).

in some ways i'm glad the weekend wasn't rosy and perfect. we had to take time to deal with things and talk about where we're at as individuals and within the relationship.

i've finally come to the realization that i am trying way too hard because of this feeling i have that i have to do SO MUCH MORE due to the distance when in reality if i can just relax and be good to myself, we'll both be better off. i've been struggling with this for months, feeling like we're losing something if we're not in regular contact like we once were. (actually, constant contact would be more accurate.) and feeling like i'm letting him down if i'm not constantly there for him. not true at all!and we still talk about 5 nights a week... and i know just because he's busy doesn't mean that he's not thinking of me or wanting to be with me. i feel like i was being so childish and unfair.

i've been in long distance relationships before but nothing that was ever this significant. it was always all about having fun, nothing serious. no one who i thought i'd be with for more than a couple of months. okay, maybe weekends what i have with david is so different from those experiences. i'm glad i'm calming down about it all. it shouldn't be this difficult. and i thank you all for reading my insane outbursts

So out of curiosity where are we all going when we get the process done and dusted ???

i'll be in evanston, il, just north of chicago. i really like it there. i suppose that's a good thing! the arena where we skate and play hockey is only 1/2 a block down the street, and i have other friends in and around the city. i'm quite lucky in that respect as i already know a lot of folks there. i really can't wait to get to start living day-to-day there, taking chicago transit, biking over to the lake, eating chocolate cake from portillo's!!! toronto and chicago are fairly similar, in my opinion, so i don't think i'll have much adjusting to do. well, maybe just getting used to driving again. in toronto i bike and walk everywhere but in evanston a car comes in handy... especially for trips to target!

[BexandAlan 0]

Hi guys.

Hope your all well today, I spent the day at Grand Designs Live in London enjoying the sunshine with Kevin McCloud and Kirsty Allsopp. Am a little bit rosy - whoops, forgot the sunscreen. Managed to go most of the day without checking USCIS, sadly it didn't help as there was still no news waiting for me when I got home. Really appreciating all the effort you guys are putting in though, keep up the good work!!

I am moving to Georgia. About an hours drive north of Atlanta - near Stone Mountain if anyone knows it (thats where we are hoping to get married too.) The jobs I want are all in Atlanta so we might move closer eventually although I think Alan would like to move closer to the mountains which means going further North so we will have a bit of a tug or war on our hands. In two weeks time I will be a qualified property surveyor although I have my heart and mind set on eventually training as a special education teacher, we just can't really afford for me to go back to school right now. I already owe £10,000 from this degree which will take a life time to pay back on a dollar wage so I think I am going to try and stick with the property stuff for a bit.

I hope this finds you all well. I'm sure my NOA2 isn't far away now

*Hugs*

Bex xxx

[erintoronto 0]

Hi guys.

Hope your all well today, I spent the day at Grand Designs Live in London enjoying the sunshine with Kevin McCloud and Kirsty Allsopp. Am a little bit rosy - whoops, forgot the sunscreen. Managed to go most of the day without checking USCIS, sadly it didn't help as there was still no news waiting for me when I got home. Really appreciating all the effort you guys are putting in though, keep up the good work!!

sounds like you had a good day! i have a feeling that you'll be having a FAB day very soon with your NOA2!!!

it was rainy and cold in toronto today but the weekend looks like it's going to be beautiful! i'll remember to wear sunscreen though i'll look like a lobster otherwise.

i don't check uscis every day at this point. i did at the beginning but with CSC moving slowly i figure once a week is likely good enough. give it a couple more months and i'm sure i'll be logging in every hour

I am moving to Georgia. About an hours drive north of Atlanta - near Stone Mountain if anyone knows it (thats where we are hoping to get married too.) The jobs I want are all in Atlanta so we might move closer eventually although I think Alan would like to move closer to the mountains which means going further North so we will have a bit of a tug or war on our hands. In two weeks time I will be a qualified property surveyor although I have my heart and mind set on eventually training as a special education teacher, we just can't really afford for me to go back to school right now. I already owe £10,000 from this degree which will take a life time to pay back on a dollar wage so I think I am going to try and stick with the property stuff for a bit.

i've been through georgia a number of times as my family has a mobile home in florida. always liked it there. i'm sure you will, too!

it's very hard when you're not doing exactly what you want to do professionally. but i understand sticking something out for a while. i was going to switch jobs but once we filed our K1 i decided i should just get another year in at my current job so my resume looks stronger. some days i regret it, but overall it's what's going to get me to chicago without much stress.

i'm sure you'll be able to afford going back to school within a reasonable amount of time

i had a fairly productive day at work, then spent the evening working through my finances. things are really looking up and i'm very pleased about it.

hope you all had a great day!

[tuty 0]

Thats a great thing to do, I am watching my finances too, I want to leave everything in order when Im gone...I do have a big loan and I have to pay 150 u$ for 5 years...so Donnie and I plan to send the many to my bank account each month, Which I hate because I would rather close my bank account but...what can be done...

Anyways...I've been reading about some of you having to wait a little bit longer and the truth is that is not the end of the world. Donnie and I had the application approved in 34 days and you know what? because I lost that document the entire process will get stuck for about a year....I cry sometimes because I just think that is unfair what the Argentinian embassy is doing...they are the most careless and idiotic people I have ever encounter in my life. I explained to them with tears in my eyes that Im about to get married....all they had to do is type my ID number (which appears in the Birth certificate) in the computer and ask for the demn police certificate that takes only 2 weeks. So here I am...stuck forever and I dont really got anything more to say. I have never encounter a situation as ridicoulos as mine since I registered to VJ, nor met anyone in the same situation. Once a person wrote me a message telling me that their process got stuck for 4 months because his fiancee lost her ID in the Philipines. Well in Argentina takes almost a year to get the ID....I just stop dreamming and making plans, as hard as it is keeping a long distance relationship....Im tired of everything. Sometimes I just dont want to put mu headset on anymore....although Donnie tries to be possitive and he should be here in 7 weeks....I think thats what be need, to see each other again. So...if you have to wait amonth here and a month there, remember that it can always be worse. We have decided to keep on with the paper work so I will do my medical soon and finish translations. Good luck guys.

[KimandRuss 0]

Glad you are feeling better, Erin. Perspective is a wonderful thing!

Tuty, there is really nothing you can do to get that document sooner? I did a google search regarding argentinian id's and could only find someone in your situation... waiting. I'd send them a letter each day requesting it... maybe they'll just want to get rid of you... or at the very least get their attention! I hope you get it sooner than you think.

[BexandAlan 0]

Hello Happy Campers

The sun has been out again today hoorah! I was going to walk home and set off in the right direction although to get home I HAVE to walk through the shopping center and by the time I came out the other side I had too many bags to carry. Teehee I bought lots of nice new summer tops that actually fit because my wardrobe from last summer is 3 sizes too big in some cases. All courtesy of my overdraft of course. Sadly I got home and opened up my emails - for the first time today - and there wasn't a NOA2 in sight ... there was however a £100 phone bill so I'm thinking I might have to take some of my new stuff back

Erin I'm super glad you are getting a hold of the problems that were worrying you most. Its strange how once you get one thing under control everything else seems much more manageable too. Definitely don't forget the sunscreen, I would rather be as pale as I am (I'm very English pale) than some of the lobster looking ladies I saw today, NOT pretty. The sun doesn't half bring all the weirdos out of the woodwork as well!

Tuty lovely I'm sorry for the way things have worked out for you. Will the waiting mean that your NOA2 is likely to expire? Can't Donnie get his embassy to request it? Ahhh I'm sure you have thought of everything already I just wish that I could help some. Will be nice for you to spend some time with Donnie and hopefully you will be able to lift your spirits some. If there is anything we can do to help let us know, although my talents don't stretch very far ... maybe to a song at best.

I becoming quite habitual about my daily post to you all, so there it is. I hope you guys are all well.

Bex xxx

[pandora 0]

"there was however a £100 phone bill "

Bex have you looked into Voip, sip phones and sip brokers as that can help keep the bills down.

I used to ring a UK SIP broker on my home phone ( local call cost to sip broker and they internet call his pc so with BT it used to cost me 3p for an hour would then ring back ) that way if it was late i wasnt tied to the PC and could go to bed ( damn 5 hours time differences)

Am not sure who your isp is but mine is bethere and the router they supply includes a voip connection so you can link voip to your house phone took me hmm 10 months to realise that ( lol ) .

If you need any info feel free to pm.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

"there was however a £100 phone bill "

We use Vonage. 7.99 (pounds) a month unlimited calls to US. It uses any kind of regular phone. I have it too for $25/mo unlimited calls to all of US, UK, Italy, and France. We talk hours a day. Kinda late for you to start a year's term. But if anybody is interested I would love for you to use one of our numbers as a referral so we and thenew customer get a free month or two. PM me for that

Actually when Nick came here, he brought his Vonage box and plugged it into my router and his UK calls rang here. He may continue it so his family can call him anytime they want to with no long distance fees.

He's on the phone right now (of course) and suggested you look at www.telediscount.co.uk and check for information about access codes. 1 pence per minute to US.

[Sal and Jay 2]

"there was however a £100 phone bill "

We use Vonage. 7.99 (pounds) a month unlimited calls to US. It uses any kind of regular phone. I have it too for $25/mo unlimited calls to all of US, UK, Italy, and France. We talk hours a day. Kinda late for you to start a year's term. But if anybody is interested I would love for you to use one of our numbers as a referral so we and thenew customer get a free month or two. PM me for that

Actually when Nick came here, he brought his Vonage box and plugged it into my router and his UK calls rang here. He may continue it so his family can call him anytime they want to with no long distance fees.

He's on the phone right now (of course) and suggested you look at www.telediscount.co.uk and check for information about access codes. 1 pence per minute to US.

Another option is Talk Talk I use them and have free calls to the us unlimited.

[BexandAlan 0]

Thanks everyone! We use Skype to talk to each other every night and are quite happy with that for now. Have been looking at Vonage for when I get there and need to call home though. The whole visa thing has been making me a bit needy over the last few months so I have been calling Alan from my cell twice a day. I guess its just time to stop those shenanigans. O2 give me 7p a min and I always think thats quite reasonable but I guess I have been calling for at least 10 mins each time = at least £1.40 a day ... all adds up! Ah well. I just need to be more sensible and tell him to hang up if I call for no reason

xXx

[erintoronto 0]

The sun has been out again today hoorah! I was going to walk home and set off in the right direction although to get home I HAVE to walk through the shopping center and by the time I came out the other side I had too many bags to carry. Teehee I bought lots of nice new summer tops that actually fit because my wardrobe from last summer is 3 sizes too big in some cases. All courtesy of my overdraft of course. Sadly I got home and opened up my emails - for the first time today - and there wasn't a NOA2 in sight ... there was however a £100 phone bill so I'm thinking I might have to take some of my new stuff back

i know all too well the 'having to take new stuff back'.

funny, the clothes i have are all at least 3 sizes too big, too. i look like a slob most of the time. good thing i work at a university and can get away with dressing like a student most days. i don't like doing it though. oh well.

Erin I'm super glad you are getting a hold of the problems that were worrying you most. Its strange how once you get one thing under control everything else seems much more manageable too. Definitely don't forget the sunscreen, I would rather be as pale as I am (I'm very English pale) than some of the lobster looking ladies I saw today, NOT pretty. The sun doesn't half bring all the weirdos out of the woodwork as well!

yes, it's true. things seem much more manageable. i'm fighting with a couple of companies trying to get statements and such, but i hope to have things wrapped up before the end of the month.

i have a problem that isn't sun related, but is sinus infection related. my crazy bus trip home on monday night left me with a very bad cold that turned into a sinus infection. i've gone through 2 boxes of tissues since tuesday and my nose is chapped and red and peeling. i swear, every time i start to pick the dried skin off someone walks by my desk. they must all think i'm a super aggressive nose picker!

Tuty lovely I'm sorry for the way things have worked out for you. Will the waiting mean that your NOA2 is likely to expire? Can't Donnie get his embassy to request it? Ahhh I'm sure you have thought of everything already I just wish that I could help some. Will be nice for you to spend some time with Donnie and hopefully you will be able to lift your spirits some. If there is anything we can do to help let us know, although my talents don't stretch very far ... maybe to a song at best.

yes, tuty. if there is anything you need... we'll do our best. i can't imagine how frustrating it would be to have your NOA2 and then have to wait.

i'm glad in some ways that i'm at CSC and then the super slow montreal consulate. with my financial situation as it is, i need about 10 months to deal with that anyway. i guess everything should work out at about the same time. and heck, 10 more months i can deal with. it was the thought of it being another year that was upsetting to me. but it is what it is.

for whatever reason, since my trip to evanston and back i've been very, very calm about everything. i'm not worried about not hearing from david (i was an absolute wreck for a while), and i finally was able to take action with my finances. work is incredibly hectic, but being busy is likely what's helping me through. david says he's still trying to get here in about a week to see me again, but i'm not sure it will happen. it is a nice thought to have though

he sent me a photo today that cracked me up. he is a goalie in hockey and last night he got hit in the ribs REALLY HARD with a puck. right under his pads for some reason. anyway, he sent me this bizarre photo of his armpit and ribs to show me the big red mark on his side. what a goof

The whole visa thing has been making me a bit needy over the last few months so I have been calling Alan from my cell twice a day. I guess its just time to stop those shenanigans.

i had to give up those shenanigans, too. well, calling david on his cell phone before 9pm CST. i'm lucky - i have unlimited evenings from 5pm - 8pm and unlimited weekends with my cell plan, plus i pay $20/month for unlimited calls within canada and the united states. $20 seems reasonable to me, plus the company i use provides decent calling records. always a good thing

[johnabis 0]

Yeah you guys and gals are right that I am lucky to have filed with the VSC. I guess I just got excited when I saw how some got the noa2 in a month's time. Then when I saw a touch on the 24th I thought I would be one of them.

As far as phone service. I use a company called vodini.com. It costs me 30 a month for unlimited talk to a sun cellular phone in the Philippines. Basically its voice over IP all the way to the Philippines where it then connects to a sun cellular voice switch. It has saved me a ton of money as I used to spend about 200 a month on phone cards.