We are just starting to pull our heads up above water after a certifiably insane past six weeks. Forgive me for my blog being a bit behind and soon to be out of order, but it’s been like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs around here. Now that we have some basics down (ok, it’s not quite as bad as finding food and shelter, but it’s close!), it’s time to update the story.
So where are in the world are we? Atlanta, Georgia, USA!
We headed out of Australia near the end of July. It was a choice we felt we had to make in light of the government’s proposed changes to the LAFHA regime. Anyone reading my blog with a particular interest in LAFHA knows what I’m talking about – the government proposed changes to the Living Away From Home Allowance tax concessions which mean a massive hit to expats’ take-home pay. For our family, the change meant a net loss of $2000/month – something we simply could not afford. While the changes were merely proposed and not passed when we left, it had become increasingly clear that the government was not at all interested in hearing about the immense impact of these proposed reforms on real working families, and that instead of making any changes to the proposal as it went through Parliament, the government would instead insist that no accommodation be made for expats already in-country and relying upon their income to meet their expenses. So far the reforms have passed Parliament and are awaiting a Senate vote, but since the Senate already has the votes to pass them and no serious opposition working against them, I see no hope for the reforms to be defeated.
So, with this as our backdrop, we decided to head back to the US. My dh found an exciting position with a new firm in Atlanta, Georgia, a city we’d never visited. We had long ago said that if we moved again, it would be just once, and that the new spot would be our long-term home. We want a place to raise our kids, for them to forge life-long friendships, a place where we learn our way around and can stop having to think so hard about how to get to simple places like the grocery store. So, without ever having been here, we decided that Atlanta would be that place for us.
Leaving Aus was bittersweet. While Atlanta holds a new adventure for us, we had an incredible experience in Australia. It certainly had it challenges and surprises, but in the end we only really remember the positives. I have much to say about what we’ll miss about Aus, but that will come in a separate post.
We arrived in Atlanta four weeks ago after a visit to California for a cousin’s wedding and lots of time with friends and family. Starting over was a little easier in our own country, but still there was much to do! When we arrived, we didn’t know our way around, we didn’t own a car (sound familiar?), we hadn’t chosen a school for our children, and basically we had nothing except dh’s employment firmed up. We have stayed in a hotel for the last four weeks, and during this time we did manage to buy cars (despite our vagabond lifestyle causing our credit reports to get flagged as fraudulent), find a great school and get the kids started, meet a chiropractor that will be a wonderful addition to our wellness network, rent an apartment (soon to be ours!), and begin to figure out our way around. Re-entry to the US lifestyle has been a little tough, but again that’s the subject of another post.
For now, know that we’re here, we’re surviving, and soon we will be thriving once more!
boldliving 