But what will I call the blog?

"Man plans, God laughs."  - Yiddish proverb

Those of you who have been reading this blog since its inception will be aware that the name, Asia Vu refers to that strange I've been here before feeling that MrLogical and I experienced when moving back to Asia (many years later) as adults after spending a good chunk of our expatriate childhoods in the Far East.

The original plan was to write a blog that would chronicle the 2 years we would spend in Seoul, then return to the US after our brief expat adventure and settle back into suburbia.  #1 would be halfway through University, #2 would be able to graduate high school with his friends.  The Yellow Dog would be returned to us, and (with the exception of the addition of one Boston Terrier) life would pretty much return to normal.

So, Asia Vu really fit.  Head back to Asia, see what it's like after all this time, have a little taste of the expat experience again, then - a return to reality.

I never thought beyond that.  Two years in Asia, I thought, and then we'll be heading back.

What I failed to do, however, was to think ahead about what I would call the blog if we didn't move back, or if we moved somewhere else.

Which, as it turns out, I should have done, because we'll be packing up and moving to the UK in just over 8 weeks.

To Bristol, England, to be precise (North American readers, on the off chance you are not intimately familiar with the location of cities in the UK like I was 7 weeks ago when this whole thing started, Bristol is located in the Southwest part of England, approximately a 2-hour train ride from London. It looks perfect for us, but more on that later.)

You may well be surprised.  MsCaroline was certainly surprised. Oh, there'd been a few rumblings here and there in late summer, but nothing serious enough to plan for. Certainly nothing that would have led us to believe we'd be packing up and moving across the world in 8 short weeks during the Christmas holidays. *cue maniacal laughter*

The short version of the story is that MrL has a new position (same company) which requires his presence in the UK by the start of January. Son #2   settled our most pressing concern (completing high school and applying for college) by sanctioning the move (some of you may remember that he is an ardent anglophile anyway) and applying for early graduation (one does not simply pull their child out of school in the middle of his senior year without a significant buy-in) and is presently knocking himself out to do the extra coursework that he needs to graduate in December as well as finishing up all of his college applications.  I will be wrapping up my teaching contract mid-year (someday, remind me to write a post about trailing spouses) and am beginning the process of getting my credentials assessed to get QTS (qualified teacher status) in the UK, which seems like it will be a long and headachy and excessively bureaucratic process.  (In this way, at least, it sounds exactly like the USA.) After having (what I consider to be) a dream job for the past 3 years, I'm not exactly rushing to jump into another position, but I'm wise enough to know that time will be hanging heavy on my hands after #2 heads off to University in August or September, and I'm trying to plan ahead.  *sob*

So, somehow, between now and 2nd January, we'll be packing up, moving out, and wrapping up our loose ends.  #2 will move along with us to spend a few months taking the train to London every single weekend to visit his friends at University experiencing life in England before returning to the US for university in the fall.  At some point, in the spring or summer, #1 will likely be out to visit us in our/his new home.

Things are slowly falling into place - as they always do.

But still....what will I call the blog?

Any ideas are welcome, although I can't promise anyone I won't just keep calling it Asia Vu and just tack on Moves West  or UK Version.  I really do love the name Asia Vu (MrL thought of it) but you're a clever bunch and likely will come up with something even better - I'm entertaining any and all suggestions.

In the meantime, my mantra is (in the words of the inimitable Eddie Murphy):

 "Keepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogether"