London Calling

If you are reading this, it is likely because you received my mass email. Apologies for the lack of warm fuzziness with this approach, but it seemed the best way to reach out.

As my friend Oona pointed out … “everyone and their dog” is asking about our plans to move to Japan. It’s a slight exaggeration, but still a good name for our first blog entry in four years.

Two Fridays ago the three of us woke up (in London) to the awful news of the Japanese earthquake and resultant tsunami. Suddenly the plans we had been working on for three months to move to Japan were in question. We were meant to be saying our final farewells as Brian headed out that night. He was bound for Australia for a one-week meeting before he moved to Japan.

Just 24 hours earlier Brian was hand couriering our passports between the US and Japanese embassies. We desperately wanted everything sorted, and were at our wits’ end with the long and drawn out process. We never imagined that we would later be thankful for every single day that those damn visas were delayed.

In the end, Brian did head out to Sydney that night … not knowing if/when he/we would move to Japan.

Originally we had planned for Brian to head to Tokyo while Tess and I visited friends and family in the USA. He would move in to corporate housing and start apartment hunting. Once settled, I would join him in early April. Brian’s mom and dad were going to help us with the move, spend some time in Tokyo, and then head to Australia and New Zealand to travel.

Now, everything is on hold. After one week in Australia, Brian decided to stay put. The Google office in Tokyo remains open, but very quiet. Many Japanese have moved to a temporary office based out of a hotel in Osaka, and most ex-pats have taken a chartered flight and are now working out of their San Francisco office.

In the meantime, Brian will continue to work in Australia for at least another two weeks. His goal is to get to Tokyo as soon as he can, but we are very realistic and cautious about this decision. Obviously there are endless concerns and worries. (I’m sure I don’t need to outline them all here.) We are exploring lots of options, and will keep you updated via this blog.

In the meantime, my mother and her husband are spoiling Tess and me. We are basking in the Atlanta sun, and I’m enjoying the extra help and yummy cooking.

We are sad to be apart, but even more distraught for the Japanese people.

Hoping you and yours are well.

-Kirsten