flossiefus

We are moving from Sydney Australia To Roswell New Mexico. I have a quote for shipping 30 tea chest boxes for $1000 including paperwork etc.

My question is, Whats the best way to pack the boxes? We are taking

Clothes

Toys

Photo albums

books

nick nacks

Now whats the best way to pack all of these to protect them. Do i put clothes in bags etc?

Any tips and advise on packing the above would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Emerald, I pack fragile things using the clothing to cushion them and pack a few books at the bottom of boxes to even the weight out a little, but if the shipping company provided the smaller cartons especially for books then use their method.

Bubble wrap is also useful as the toys are often oddly shaped, but again you can use towels or other linen to reduce the need to pay for extra boxes.

I would be looking at whether the shipping company charges by weight or by cubic size and packing accordingly. I used those plastic bacs that you suck the air from and found i could pack an amazing amount in my 2 suitcases (mind you they weighed a ton) and everything travelled well, wrinkles are lessened if you roll clothes rather than fold.

hope some of this helps, and best wishes for your trip

I'm in Jacksonville-My husband is from Brazil.

Fort Lauderdale here!

Has anyone found a reasonable way to send gifts back?

I have organised a parcel and it seems its going to cost more to send it than the value of the contents.

I know they will really enjoy getting gifts from here but I'd love some ideas, if there are any of you sending things back, how have you been doing?

Cheers Julie

Congrats Kath now u can relax and forget USCIS (just for a while at least)

Cheers

can i do the happy dance ....

I HAVE JUST HAD MY AOS APPROVED... !!!!!!

SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

ohh kaffy kat am i in for a spanking for beating you....

im happy but sad also..there are so many waiting for approval from CSC

im so glad i dont have to go for that long trip to cleveland for an interview...

talk to you all soon

kath

shame i cant ring robbie.. he asked me last night cos i was so rapt he came home early an he said you miss me ..i said yes he said ohh i thought u had news on your greencard for me ..will he be surprised tonight when he gets home...

tilts

toll

rear!

Read

Per an appointment letter, my husband had his biometrics taken on Friday, Aug. 18.

On Saturday, he received another biometrics appointment letter (same as the other one) with an appointment date for THIS Friday, Aug. 25.

We feel certain that this is just an administrative error, but when he called the USCIS information line, was told - well, she actually wouldn't tell him anything or give him any kind of advice. She just said he needed to show up there for his biometrics ... even though he told her that he had already had it done.

He really doesn't want to have a second set of biometrics taken for fear everything will really get confusing, but he doesn't want to ignore it, either. More importantly, he doesn't want to have to return to our local ACS and wait another hour and a half before he can receive some clarification on the issue.

What do y'all think we should do?

Thank you!

Denise

I too had a 2nd appointment notice, when I went for it, expecting it to be a mistake they took pictures for my green card, dont know if this helps, but they may have reason

cheers

I had quite a fight to regain my maiden name before the divorce as I was told by some places where I held accounts that I had to be divorced to do it, and I admit, I became stubborn about it and felt it gave me back my own identity (which I felt I had lost in my previous marriage).

As prior to the internet relationship that evolved I hadnt ever intended to remarry it didnt become an issue until I arrived in the US on a K1. Since I am older and will not have children from this relationship to carry a family name, and my children carry their fathers name, my new husband and I each continue to be known by our birth names.

- It works for us -

but everyones circumstances are different and nowadays there are choices for both partners.

just a quick baby update... the amnio results came back and everything is fine (no downs, autism, spina bifida etc) and we are having a boy!!

sorry it's short but i have to get to work.

matt

Hi Matt, Congratulations to you all, I know what a relief it is, knowing that your baby is fine, now there is that excitement about meeting the new little person, coming into your lives... after his birth don't forget to register him, so hes automatically an Aussie as well as American

Hope the rest of the pregnancy is calm and stress free, there is lots of info at http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au

best wishes

Karo said>> SNIP>Not much news out of Florida. Our "reception" is on Sat. night this week. His parents fly in from Oz on Fri night. His brother is also coming in, but from London, on Friday day. I am excited to have his family come visit him and I know he is really happy.

We bought some Australian wine to give as favors at our reception so I liked that Aussie touch. Mom wanted to do a Kangaroo Groom's cake but I was not going to let that happen! HA.

Other than that we are still waiting to hear if we got tickets to the Aus/South Africa cricket match in March. I really hope we do. I am waiting to hear from STewart's job if he gets the holiday leave over xmas so I can go ahead and buy my tix to Oz. I hope it's soon because I hate to leave that unresolved.

<<SNIP>

Hi Karo, congrats on getting the family to make the trip, I d love to get some visitors! and we are also looking for tickets for ourselves for next year.

Id also like to get to the Cricket, where do you find out about it?

The Reception idea sounds great, we were planning to do something of the sort over there.. we'd like to have a ceremony of sorts on one of the Gold Coast beaches, with friends and family helping us celebrate after. The Vegas wedding was great, but I am looking to do something meaningful in Oz too, does anyone have any ideas whether its possible, and what things i need to prepare for?

I was sent this from another list, and thought some Aussies here may be interested

"One Million More – Census of Australians Abroad, is an independent online questionnaire that in part mirrors the questions in the Census in Australia, as well as including specific questions that relate to the experiences of Australian expatriates and members of the Australian Diaspora. This is our way of ensuring that you and the one million Australians living outside of our country can also participate."

www.onemillionmore.com

cheers

I m sorry to hear that others are feeling the way I do, I thought it was only me. I know it's probably a great place for most people, I must just be one of the ones that doesnt suit the US.

I find the lack of friends and family much more daunting this time around (I migrated to Australia, and went through all the culture changes etc etc, before) How do people make new friends here? I dont find people as friendly here and recently moved apartments, without any help from anyone, compared to friends giving a helping hand with the packing and unpacking and deciding on the best place or home for everything, when I left my old home, to come here.

I worry constantly about what will happen with my health because of the lack of insurance. I will look for work once i have a car and a licence, maybe that will help. I just hope an employer will forgive me for taking off on a trip. I thought I was a positive person and wouldnt be phased by all this, but I'm tired and cranky, and cant wait to go home.

I am really hoping in another 12 months I wont still be feeling this way. my green card arrived on Friday at the end of a horrendous 2 weeks so it may all be the anticlimax, hopefully I will bounce back and find the happy me, that I am used to.

Finally, after lots of frustration, i found out why my greencard hadnt arrived. Well, it wasnt even the fault of USCIS (I take back the clouds of black thoughts I had aimed their way).

The USPS had stuffed it into someone elses mailbox, and I only found out when he came in after an absence, and delivered it by hand.

As I dont need to go and plead for a stamp in my passport anymore I cancelled the Miami infopass Appointment that was so hard to get, cos now I am

thanks matt

so what ya saying is when i get my green card i can travel overseas an come back in with no problems...i thought it was 2 years that i couldnt go out of the country an come back in with an ap...i only want the ap just in case i have to do an emergency flight home my mum is 81 an although in good health i want it in my hand just in case....now i dont know what to do wait the 5 or so months or go for my AP....

anyone else got any thoughts on it i would appreciate it

take care kath

hi Kath, thats is all true- you dont HAVE to wait 2 years and if you get the advance parole document you can travel as soon as thats been approved.

I dont want to be a wet blanket, but i applied for my AOS on Aug 12 2005 and still dont have a green card in my hand. I was sent a letter saying welcome to America, so I am assuming its approved, but...still no green card. I have booked an infopass appointment in Miami for July 24 (the earliest I could) so will know more then. I have seen plenty go through like Matt's and can only hope yours would too, but its very frustrating sitting here and worrying about when I can actually book a trip 'home'

cheers

I'm going to make a strictly educated guess.

They can't read the prints and simply need them re-submitted.

I had to return for a second appointment. It was for the photo in my case. I was told they needed a scanned one for the card.

Do you know what the process is to do this? Who I should contact? I can't seem to find any info online

AFAIK it is quite legal to use both, I kept my maiden name and have bank accounts and credit cards both here and overseas in it. I have applied for my green card in it too. I am not sure if you will need to open accounts with both names, but it's important for travel that your ticket is booked in the name on your passport. So i carry my marriage certificate with me, just in case.

I dont know if this helps, but wish you all the best

snip >>got married on the 1st july and it was perfect

Congratulations, glad you made it

Well, today's my 1 year wedding anniversary. Those who know me realize that heaping on congratulations do not really....fit my case, sadly.

While I really love my husband, life here has been unbearably hard. I can't say yet that moving here was the right thing to do. I didn't know a year ago that I would have such difficulty establishing myself. Perhaps it's because I had spent 20 years in Ontario establishing myself there - family, friends, career, life. Redoing that has been far more difficult the second time around. I start another new job next week, at 1/3 of my previous salary. I start school in the fall, working on my M.Ed. when I already have 3 degrees, which should have been enough. I'm hoping that both of these at least provide me with opportunities to move forward, to find a niche or connection here. I still miss my son terribly, and the regret I feel at leaving him still burns. I hope to forgive myself for that one day.

To mis-quote a well known VJer, I do hope to feel like myself one day.

I know that some will object to this negative thread. It is what it is

Hi Daisy

Congratulations on your aniiversary, it was mine on the 5th and you are right the feelings can be very mixed. I can so hear your hurt. I too left my sons, although they are sort of grown up (they are still my babies) and I really didnt anticipate finding it hard to adjust. After all it wouldnt be the first time. I hope your husband is like mine, and really makes this all worthwhile, we (transplants) need nurturing until our roots start to make some headway.

We make our decisions based on whats best for us and our families at the time, so I do hope you can forgive yourself for allowing him to remain behind. Is there any chance you can visit your son, or have him visit here? I know I never really expected my youngest son to refuse the opportunity to stay here, that was hard.

Old friends cant be replaced and I love the time I have to spend with them on messenger or emails or phone calls, (can be done, even with the 14 hours difference) but I still look forward to making new ones here.

This thread is one that many will be able to relate to I am sure Hugs

I wanted to let everyone know that we just got back from our AOS interview in Houston. It was a complete success we were approved, my passport was stamped and I’m to expect my Green Card in the mail in two weeks.....

We had spent all day yesterday preparing and copying and over preparing everything that had anything to do with immigration, and making sure we both knew the answer to any question they may fire at us.

We got to the interview ten minutes early our appointment was at 8am, we went through security and had to take our mobile phones back to the car, (no recording devices allowed.) We filled in a form and sat amongst the few scattered people that were there before us. Our name was called and we followed a big burly guy through the maze of offices to his interview room. He was actualy very pleasant, he swore us in and asked a few simple,.. what is your name, where were you born, are you a terrorist type questions. Asked for our ID’s ticked a few boxes then wanted to look at our photographs, apart from our wedding album we didn’t have many. He asked question about a few of them, told us a few things about himself and just generally chatted about our relationship and his own relationship with his wife. The interview was nothing like I was anticipating, it turned out to be very casual. We were chatting for about 10minuts then he left us, came back and said,… your approved!!, he stamped my passport and took my work authorization card (I only just got it a few weeks ago,apparently you only need it untill you get your stamp.) wished us all the best, and that was it.

All the preparation was for nothing, but I’m glad I did it anyway. Atleast now Im' safe for two years!

I would like to thank everyone who has ever posted a helpful reply in Visa Journey, although I haven’t posted many I think I’ve read almost all of them, and with out this forum I know I wouldn’t be here with my new wife today.

Thank you!

Congratulations to another Aussie

ps , it may help those who follow

Hi, welcome

I dont think you will have too much to worry about, you need proof of your relationship, and I d say your son will be perfect. Anything you have showing that you are living together as a married couple, such as health insurance, joint bank accounts, even travel you have taken together can all be used to show you have a valid marriage, also photos. There is lots of information on the site, and you may be able to search for others interviews to get more ideas.

Congrats on getting to an interview so quickly, Miami must have really speeded? up (got quicker)

cheers

Thanks for replying, I appreciate your help.

Sorry the redback had that reaction, I think this is less scary,

Although we chatted for years, neither of us was interested in a LD let alone an international relationship. Both of us were still with our previous family's and didnt discuss our failing relationships.

So it was a long time before feelings developed, and by then we knew each other pretty well...

I am sure on the old board, when I wanted to read a thread that I had previously looked at, there was a *jump to new messages* on the actual thread. Have I done something to lose it, or has it disappeared from this board.

Sometimes on long threads, you just want to catch up with the new messages every coupla days

TIA

I sent in photos for AOS, (you will get to that quite quickly, once you get here) then I was sent for a 2nd biometrics to have a pic taken. The UCSIS person there said the procedure had changed and they now take an electronic one, so I dont know if this is common.

Just in case you decide to get a whole sheet, just because of EAD and AOS in the future.