Brussels Sprouts

We have some exciting times ahead of us! It's old news for some of you, as we've known for some time now - it's been in the process since February and was finally confirmed in early June - but for the rest of you; we're moving to Brussels, Belgium, at the end of August! This is the main reason why it's been quiet on the blog at times. Well, that and having had another baby in February, resulting in lack of "me time" since then. But the main reason has been that the move - the decisions related to it and all the stuff that needs to be organised - has taken a lot of energy. In a positive way of course since this is something we really want to do, but it is still something that has occupied my mind a lot. Before the job was finally confirmed in June I didn't want to reveal anything on the blog.  But I have felt like I've been hiding something from you and posting about other stuff has felt unimportant and a bit pointless. Except for about the kids and especially about Harald of course. Now when I have "come clean" about our plans I can go all in and write every day of course! :) Though I doubt I'll have time now when I have less three weeks to pack! Yikes!

So why are we going? I've been offered and accepted a job at the European Commission. Initially I felt the timing wasn't great as I had planned to stay home longer with Harald - and when the Commission contacted me the first time in late January - early February he hadn't even been born yet - but as I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance again I wanted to give it a shot. And in many ways the timing is very good, as Peter can take parental leave to start with and doesn't need to find a job right away. It would probably have been a more difficult decision if we'd have had the stress of him finding a job (we could live on one salary for a while but would prefer not to). My contract is one year to begin with, with a possible (and probable) extension up to three years*. I have been granted a leave of absence from my job here in Sweden, which give us both job security if we do return after a year.  Our intention is to stay in Brussels for three years but we also like the fact that we have the first year to see how it goes and if we like it.  There's also the risk that the Commission may not be able to extend after the first year, as this position is always dependent on the availability of funding, so again, very grateful for the leave of absence / parental leave.  Peter has to find a job and we don't want the move to affect the children, especially Isolde (Harald will probably care less where we are), in any negative way.  Isolde is a very social and carefree little girl so we hope she'll adjust fine even though she may find it difficult at start not understanding the language of course.  But children learn so quickly.  I've heard people say that kids start picking up new words already after a couple of weeks.  As it looks now she'll stay at home with Peter for the first month or two (he'll have a handful!) and then start pre-school, maternelle (more on that later).  For the children the timing couldn't be better, as I think it's much easier for them to make the transition at this age before they have started school and made too many friends, etc. (though I'm all for it at any age in theory) compared to if this opportunity had come in five years' time.

I've dreamt about going abroad again (I've lived abroad for almost 6 years before but I've been home in Sweden for ten years now) for a long time, and living real life (not student or trainee life) abroad, and also about working for the EU institutions, but when the opportunity actually arose it was a different matter!  In many ways the decision was easy for the reasons explained above - I couldn't really turn it down - but I don't only have myself to think about now but a whole family, and we wanted to make an informed decision.  So we spent a few days doing research about what it would mean for us financially to move and also, and perhaps more importantly, move back to Sweden in a few years' time.  What would happen to our parental benefits, pensions, mortgage payments, student loan payments, tax, insurances, etc.?  What impact it would have on us as a family, our children, our extended family? Lots of things to think about.  Not all affecting the decision as such, but good to think about and to be aware of.  I only had a few days to accept the offer, but after that there was a period of a couple of months when I waited for the next step in the process, whereby I had to present evidence of my qualifications, job experience, etc. and also go through a medical examination (mainly for the medical insurance that comes with the job), before the position was made final.  The interview took place in early March**, the "evidence and medical visit" to Brussels in early May, and in June it was all finally confirmed.  And 2 September I start!

The drawback of moving to another country is of course being far away from our family and friends.  We're "taking away" the grandchildren from mormor, morfar, farmor & farfar but we hope they as well as our friends (you!) will come and visit often (we have a guest room!) and we'll also spend most of our holidays back in Sweden.  We're grateful that it's 2013 and the communication opportunities are endless - Skype, Viber, Facebook, Instagram, email, sms, etc.  We have some friends in Brussels already, which is nice, and some of them have young children as well.  Peter is a bit nervous about how to "entertain" two kids in a new place in the beginning but luckily there are two mothers Peter can hang out***.  One of them is the wife (and now friend) of a former colleague of mine who's expecting their second child any day now (and they have a four-year old already).  Unfortunately they are moving back to the UK in April next year but we'll have almost nine months to hang out with them.

The other mother is fellow blogger and Swede Petra whom we've both met a few times - once in Stockholm (just me), once in New York and once in Brussels (now in May) and maybe on one further occasion??  She's expecting number two in the next few weeks - and big brother V is just eight months younger than Isolde - and will be home with the baby and can hang out with Peter.  We'll actually be neighbours - same building, different flights of stairs - as Petra has very kindly helped us find accommodation****!  Very fortunate for us, Petra and her (Spanish) husband Oscar (whom we haven't had the chance to meet yet but are looking forward to getting to know!), have some (also Swedish) friends who happened to plan to return to Sweden during almost the same period we were looking to rent somewhere, so that has worked out perfectly!   Petra and Oscar rented their flat for a while a couple of years ago before they decided to buy in the same building!  We really liked the flat when we visited in May so we think it's going to be a great year, both living in the flat and having Petra and family nextdoors!  Even though Petra and I have only met IRL a few times it feels like we know each other so well, as we're been following each other's blogs for several years.  Can't wait to become proper IRL friends! :)

We're very excited about this new phase in our lives!  Now we just need to get through these next couple of weeks of sorting out the last bits of various paperwork and packing all of our stuff.  We're not bringing any furniture, "only" boxes with clothes and kitchen items, etc. as well as our bicycles and larger children's items, but it still takes time!  The removers come on 19 or 20 August and Peter leaves on 21 August to drive down with our car and I fly down with the kids (and my parents) on the 23rd.  Our stuff will arrive on 26 or 27th, which will give us almost a week to unpack and settle in before I start work.

So that's our big news!  Now I have to book those flights so we can definitely go! :)

* So called "contractual agent" contract (there are two categories; the one other is up to six years).  I have been in a database for contractual agent jobs since 2007 when I took and passed an exam, a so-called concours.  This was the third interview but the first actual offer, and it was also the first opportunity at the European Commission; the other jobs have been at other EU organs.
** I was meant to do the interview on 18 February but when Harald arrived unexpectedly on 12 February, I was able to change the date to 6 March.  It was always planned to be over VTC though, as I wouldn't have been able to travel that late in the pregnancy, and when I Harald was only
*** The Swedish church has a play group twice a week that I'm sure he and the kids will be frequent visitors too.
**** And helped me with my thousand other questions!  Thank you so much!  I'm eternally grateful!