I was going to make a post about my Easter Travel plans this morning, but that will be put to the way side for a few more days. I got home from the Gym this morning to some truly epic news that just made my day (although I am sure once I get to work that excitement will die. But either way I am over the moon right now. This process I have hidden from most people for a while now, keeping it kind of quiet. But now that the first lot of hurdles are over, and the process is moving forward, its time to reveal all.

Back in September on my way home from my round the world trip, I ran into the owner of the company I work for. We got to chatting about my travelling and my time off and I had said how much I loved the USA and was a touch dissapointed I never got my Green Card through the lottery. At that point I had just gotten the thoughts of working in the USA out of my head and also the temptations of working in Canada and had decided I would be staying in Aus, settling down, getting some surgery done (thats a whole other story). To which he countered with “If you want a job in the US, all you have to do is ask and I can set it up”.

Now he has done an epic amount of things for me in the past, you all know how much he has helped me, how much I admire this man. But that was like a dream come true/tease all in one. I had to put some serious thought into that. We decided to discuss it a few weeks later when I would see him again on a work trip, and to be honest, It was all I could think about for weeks. But I made up my mind… It was full steam ahead… lets go!

Little did I know, that decision would change things and that little meeting would make things different. I was given an offer to help out with the office I would be working for in Seattle for a week late last october (a lot of people would of seen me blogging/tweeting from over there but wondering what was going on) and I got to meet my new employers, the staff and it felt right. I love Seattle. The weather although not like Qld is still awesome, the food is amazing and to be honest, It is Aviation Porn Central with 2 Boeing Factories (Renton & Everett). What more could I want.

Will since then they have been helping me out, we have been back and forth trying to work on my options for my Work Visa. It has been a very convuluted process. I have been through dozens of rewrites of resumes, references, employment histories and just general mind numbing stuff. I had held most of this back as it all weighed on one bit of data. I had to have the equivalent of a US Degree. As I never went to Uni, this would make things so much easier for me.

Well this morning that Equivalency was approved. Third times a charm! I couldn’t believe it! So now, it’s all real. I will be leaving Aus. Who knows how long for, who knows when (next few months I would say) and ticking some more stuff off my bucket list I am sure. But to say I am excited… well.. Thats an understatement.

So on the right I have added a new category… I’ve called it “Expat” cause thats essentially what I will be. An Aussie Expat… living in the USA!