Letting the cat out of the bag

Back in the middle of '05, Ed applied to the Canadian government for Permanent Residency. He was granted Permanent Resident status in October of '07. He can become a Canadian in three years.

Now, this is where I let the cat out of the bag. Ed's been offered a terrific position in Vancouver, Canada. I can't tell you exactly what the position is until the final paperwork is signed, but I can say it will be seen as pivotal in his career. Yeah, this is a big deal for us.

So we're now investigating what it'll take for me to become a Canadian. There's the obvious "marriage" method, but even that isn't guaranteed because of my ongoing health issue with the MM. The Canadian government doesn't want to become a haven for sick US citizens, so there are a few hurdles to cross. We're in the process of contacting attorneys and looking at options.

In the meantime, we'll simply be a bi-national couple for a while. I can't stay in Canada for more than 6 months at a time. Yes, they actually seem to track it.

Once Ed leaves his current position, we'll keep me on COBRA and I'll continue to get my medical needs serviced in the US. Hopefully the transition to the Canadian system will happen before the COBRA runs out.

So, the recap is: Ed got a terrific job and we're moving to Vancouver in July. We're selling the house, getting rid of a lot of stuff, and will be living in a place that's roughly half the size of what we have now.

We're both looking forward to it.