LAND DOWNUNDER

[Kath 0]

hi patricia

well i know i wont be the first to welcome you to america but i can be the first aussie ...so

WELCOME TO AMERICA MATE....am happy your flight was safe and you arrived in one piece ..and by the way i never got the welcome to america cheer either at my poe..must be lax lol...see we told you there is nothing to worry about...lol

ohh you sound like me when i arrived..lol shopping shopping and shopping..i never thought of savlon cos i hardly used it in oz...must remember that one...

im not sure but i thought Macy's were going out of business...could of had a job there but wasnt wiling to work weekends..lol...i bet that was a different experience for you doing your registry for your wedding..its a big thing over here..and that was so nice of zach's parents to greet you too at the airport...hows the weather there..is it colder than you thought it would be or is st louis warm at this time of year..

take it all in mate relax enjoy and sleep all ya can to catch up...the jet lag will ease up soon too...

we had heaps of snow yesterday ...(i hear you susan..not as much as you get lol you get feet we get inches) and i noticed when i was shovelling it at 1 in the morning that it was packing really well...sooooooooo i made a snowman lol finished him about 2.30am mind you lol

i put my bombers beanie on top and wrapped him up with the bomber scarf and put my bomber shirt in front of him lol..(didnt think i should of put the shirt on first and built him up with it on lol) looked a bit rough but i finally got to do my first snowman in america...lol...took pics too lol..

ohh by the way thank you susan and pris for your kind words of praise..but i do this to help us aussies...im just so glad i found this sight all those years ago...i have even recommended it to people i know going through this process that i know in chatrooms and my neighbour who has a nephew bringing his bride from the phillipines...and you know what they say about us aussies...we stick together....

take care

kath

[vylex 0]

Welcome to America Patricia!

Glad you had a good flight! Glad you're enjoying yourself! Ahh memories of wedding planning...I might be in the minority of former grooms but I enjoyed it (even with our trans-pacific obstacle). Vy has been amazed with the good pricing she has come across the different shops and markets she visits. I keep being reminded how good we have it here.

On a side note, I got screwed like that on the plane before too. I get annoyed when someone instantly takes the empty seat next to you to stretch out (4 seater with one person on each end. I learned my lesson. I park my items next to me once I realize there is no one next to me. Once that seatbelt light goes off, I stretch out there to mark my territory lol. In any case, I guess you won't have to worry about that much now that Zach is with you hehe.

Kath, I'm getting a little jealous with your constant snow. I just got Vy on the slopes for the first time ever last weekend and she loved it. I think I'll have a ski-partner soon enough woohoo.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

[Kelli 0]

Welcome to the US Patricia! I am glad that you got here safe and sound, and I am glad that you are finally with your man!!!

[densusan 0]

WELCOME TO AMERICA Patricia and glad to hear you had a safe trip and sounds like a very very busy day of shopping..............that's always great fun. You have lots and lots of new to you stores to shop at and lotsa bargains this time of year.

Kath you won't believe this but we got about a foot of nice wet, packy snow and guess what I did.........Yep I too built my first snowman!!!! Will email you a pic soon and we can compare

Hope everyone else is doing well. I mailed my I-751 (Removal of conditions on residency) last friday by registered mail and am still waiting for my little green slip to be returned..... . Back in the immigration waiting game but this time it is much, much easier.

Take care everyone,

Susan

[Kath 0]

owwwwwwwwww you are too funny susan...ok will send ya mine after you send me yours ...if mine aint up to par compared to yours ya not getting mine hehehehe...thanks for the giggle ...ya dag...

ok serious now mate..ya know you can track your package online...they would of given you a receipt go to HERE. and enter your receipt number..you should of heard something by now...also you can sign up for email confirmation susan...

seems to be the easiest part of the whole deal..im still annoy at the fact you pay all this money to them and on some application you dont receive an approval but they keep the money on us...in my book and this is my own opinion that it should be put into estgrow (is that the right word) for us for our removal of conditions..get all the interest ya like on it but help us out someway...ok end of rant about USCIS lol...many americans i talk to at work dont realise how expensive it is and that im not a citz because i married one...

hi ya vylex..

ohhh mate go visit susan she has always got snow to spare lol...im glad your wife is enjoying the snow ..its a facination to us aussies...many customers grumble an i smile and say i love it ...lol..which i do .. it gives the neighbourhood a whole knew look to it almost magical..gawd skiing..i wouldnt be able to stay upright..will stick to throwing snowballs at robbie and shovelling it lol..

hi ya kelli

how is the new job going..would love to get an email from you comparing mate...

take care all

kath

[patriciaofoz 0]

Thanks for the warm welcome, everybody! (It's more than I got from Walters!)

Second day in...went back to Macy's & grabbed 3 more winter coats. They were a further 50% off so can't beat that. And Kath, I don't think Macy's gonna go out of business any time soon after the amount of stuff we've bought from there the past 2 days

I also went to Zach's University. Their library is 4 stories high! He-llo! He warned me that I could get lost in there...so I stayed on one level only. We also went to Target as our second registry. Amazing how much good stuff Target actually has. We were tossing up between Target, JCPenney & Dillards to add to our Macy's registry and Target won out I think JC & Dillards were just too fancy for my taste.

Also tasted a Frosty from Wendy's and went on our first grocery store run (at Gerbes). I love their self-service stations! I tell you, the simplest things amuse me about the US so far. Like the fact that their McDonald's small is our large back home. And how they provide free icy water everywhere (and there are water fountains everywhere!). And how they still have pennies and dimes! I say either round up or round down There's a billion other things (like having to pay for incoming mobile calls!) but I'm too tired to think of all of them right now. I'm sure you went through all this stuff the first time you arrived in the US.

WEather wise it's yet to snow in Columbia, MO. So yay! - but I'm sure it'll snow sometime soon...but I'm prepared with all my winter coats

The Future Mother In Law and I are going to bridal shops tomorrow to hopefully find me a dress to wear in 5 weekends' time. Wish us luck!

Hope everybody's well...if you got any other tips for a newly arrived Aussie, let me know! (P.S. I saw small Cadbury bars today and those Creme Eggs. It didn't make me feel homesick because I don't really like those eggs - they're too sweet/sickly for me).

[densusan 0]

Hi Kath,

Thanks for the info on tracking my I-751......so far no slip back to say they have received it but checked my bank account and they cashed my cheque on the 26th., February, so they must have got it ok. $545 poorer now , oh well. You mentioned signing up for email notifications.....do you need a receipt number for that and do you do it on the USCIS website? Going by removing conditions timeline for vermont filers it should take about 7 months from beginning to end..............I hope.PS. Sent the snowman pics....waiting for yours now

Patricia you are right about all the little things you discover when you first arrive here and even after 2 years I still find things here that amaze me. The one thing I will never get used to is tipping! Everything seems bigger in the USA (although not always better). Goodluck with the hunt for your wedding dress but I'm sure you will find something lovely.

Bye for now,

Susan

[hawaiiandreams 0]

Hi Kath,

Thanks for the info on tracking my I-751......so far no slip back to say they have received it but checked my bank account and they cashed my cheque on the 26th., February, so they must have got it ok. $545 poorer now , oh well. You mentioned signing up for email notifications.....do you need a receipt number for that and do you do it on the USCIS website? Going by removing conditions timeline for vermont filers it should take about 7 months from beginning to end..............I hope.PS. Sent the snowman pics....waiting for yours now

Patricia you are right about all the little things you discover when you first arrive here and even after 2 years I still find things here that amaze me. The one thing I will never get used to is tipping! Everything seems bigger in the USA (although not always better). Goodluck with the hunt for your wedding dress but I'm sure you will find something lovely.

Bye for now,

Susan

Hi Densusan, I signed up for the email notifications to see changes on our case while it was still with USCIS. Go to their website and type in your case number.. you will come to a web page with the option to receive updates by email... good luck to you, I hope it all keeps going along well.

Well I am currently on the count down until I am finally with my boy..17 days, 19 hours.. hihi

I am so excited I can not wait! We are both becoming a little impatient but we are hanging in there. March 17th just can't come fast enough, I am practically already packed and ready to depart!

Anyone on here from Chicago? I think I may have mentioned in the past that my hubby is in the military. He is up for a new posting in October and there is a possibility we might end up in Chicago.. I have never been there, I know nothing about the place! Other than it has been dubbed "the windy city", it's cold, it snows, it's the home of the blues.. yup that's about it! So if you live there, I would love to hear your opinions/reviews or practically anything about the place.

Oh yeah, Patricia if you are reading this, Japan fell through!!!

Take care all! And have a super day.

Edited February 28, 2008 by hawaiiandreams

[patriciaofoz 0]

Anyone on here from Chicago? I think I may have mentioned in the past that my hubby is in the military. He is up for a new posting in October and there is a possibility we might end up in Chicago.. I have never been there, I know nothing about the place! Other than it has been dubbed "the windy city", it's cold, it snows, it's the home of the blues.. yup that's about it! So if you live there, I would love to hear your opinions/reviews or practically anything about the place.

Oh yeah, Patricia if you are reading this, Japan fell through!!!

Chicago? You'll be my neighbour Kinda. Haha. We'd be 6 hours away from each other - definitely closer than Japan! I've heard Chicago is very much like Melbourne, which is a definite plus for me and you're a Melbourne girl so maybe it'll make you feel more at home. We'll be going there in a few weeks, I'll tell you how I like it

Tried on wedding dresses today. It went good but now that I'm home and have had a chance to reflect on it, it feels so rushed. But what can I do? Only went to David's Bridal and do have a shortlist there and I keep telling myself that I just don't have the luxury of being able to sit and wait on things. Wedding is in 5 weeks!!!!

BTW, I had my first snow today! I was so excited that I stood out there waiting for my FMIL to come pick me up at the Mall and people were staring at me wondering why the heck I was standing outside while it was snowing.

[Kath 0]

and another coming over...whooo hooo....hd..take the time to soak in all that is going on in oz ...your family, getting ready to leave and friends...believe me you will treasure the moments you have in your last days...your man is waiting for you on this side of world...but ya dont know when you will get the chance to see ya family again so treasure the time you have left in oz...

so you will be in chicago huh...im in toledo ohio..there are a few aussies up this end of the country...

have a look at the map mate ...

patrica...you got all the time in the world 5 weeks will go fast but take your time with the dress..why dont you go online or ebay and see what design you like...might help...i made my wedding dress..i chose my top half from a dress that i saw in a wedding shop and just copies it..and a full skirt ..gawd before i put that band on it was at least 3 people fitting lol...and i did the exact same thing as you about my first snowfall.. but i went down into it at 3 am just putting my face up to it.. i suppose its the same as when we have had such a hot day in oz and it pours down..or your town hasnt had rain for ages you do the exact same thing....i actually felt the same way when i saw my first rain fall here...gawd did it pour...but it was lovely to me...i still get a kick out of going out in the snow...

susan ... i was talking about tracking the application through the post office ... but when you get your noa1 you can enter it in the website like you would of done with your immigration application....

well yet again i have gabbled on...

take care

kath

[densusan 0]

Thanks Kath, have already looked into registering with USCIS so I can keep track. HD suggested signing up for email notifications which I didn't do last time but may this time. I know I can't do it until I have my NOA1, so I just need to be patient.

Patricia, All of us aussies that live in snowy areas are the same..........WE LOVE THE WHITE STUFF..........but like Kath's hubby mine finds it quite amusing that I like it......well most of the time. Driving in winter storms isn't much fun and shovelling it isn't that great but it looks so pretty with everything white. Good luck with your continuing wedding dress hunt but I'm sure you will be fine.

I second what Kath said about making the most of your time left in oz............It's only been 12 months since my last visit back to Adelaide and it feels like forever!

Take care everyone

[densusan 0]

Received in the mail today NOA1 on I-751 application. "Your conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year. During the one year extension you are authorise employment and travel"

My greencard doesn't expire until May 4th., but I am guessing the extension starts from the date of NOA1 which is 26th., February, so it should all be over by then. YEAH!

[Kath 0]

whoo hooo susan ...now that would be an interesting question to research..expiry date of greencard or the NOA1 notification

i also received something from uscis on saturday...as i have said i posted in my hubby's sponsor change of address..and we received a notification that it was updated...not a bad turn around from nebraska..

posted from toledo on the 23rd feb they received it the 26 and we recevied the notice on the 1st march...all up 7 days...gawd i wish all our approvals could be that quick lol..

take care

kath

[hawaiiandreams 0]

Thanks Kath! I am trying to make the most of my last 2 weeks here in Melbourne. Such mixed emotions. I CAN'T WAIT to be with my hubby again but I'm conscious of not wishing my last days at home away.. How do you find the balance? I'm sure every person here has gone through this or is bound to at some stage!

Well the next 2 weeks are jam packed with dinners and drinks and catch up's. It's all so emotionally draining!

Great updates from you Patricia - keep them coming lovely! :-)

I hope I get a bit of that white stuff if I move down to Chicago later in the year! Opps, I should say "we". Better get used to that again. We have been apart for so long you get so used to being alone! It's really happening! "We" may be moving to Chicago!

Take care all..

HD. x

Edited March 3, 2008 by hawaiiandreams

[densusan 0]

Hi Kath,

Thanks for the woooooo hooooooo! Interesting you received a reply regarding change of address...hmmmmmmm. I mailed the change of address (for hubby) with my I-751 but haven't had anything back about that. Oh well the NOA1 had the correct address, so I guess that's all that counts.

Hi HD, Thanks for your info about email notifications.....now I have a receipt number I will do that. Enjoy your last 2 weeks in Australia. It is a time full of mixed emotions, excitement about being with your partner, sadness at leaving family and friends behind and a really weird feeling when you get on the plane and wonder when you will be visiting Australia again. Very emotionally draining but you will be fine and everyone on here understands all the things you are going through right now.

Patricia hope you have found the perfect wedding dress ..............sure you will, lotsa luck.

Take care everyone,

Susan