June 25th marked the start of our family being separated for much longer than we are used to. Yes, we both work corporate jobs with a fair amount of travel and are often ‘ships in the night’, but this is something else. Usually we will be apart a few days to a week, two at the most. This time we could be separated for the best part of three months, and as a mother of two young girls who adore their Papà, I don’t know how to handle this. It’ll be a rollercoaster of emotions I’m sure, so we had better buckle up.
The next few months are still full of uncertainties, but we have a list of tasks we must tick off so that we can keep things moving. Mr T will be responsible for finding us a rental property, getting proof of residence and registering our daughters into school and nursery, as well as starting his new role in Italy in the Medtech world.
My job is to sell our current property, streamline our belongings, make sure we have ticked all the appropriate boxes so that we can bring our puppy with us and keep myself and the girls above water… oh yes and continue working my full time job, also in Medtech.
We both have difficult tasks to undertake, we both will have to learn to go it alone and not depend on one another, and learn to manage our stress.
Here’s a little tip I learned recently, that has really helped me cope with the huge amount of overwhelm I’ve been feeling: Every time you feel the stress building up, write down a plan. Make a list of small, achievable tasks that you can tick off and that will get you closer to your end goal. Soon a stressful situation feels more like a game or a competition with yourself to achieve the next thing. Sometimes evening crossing off one job from a long list makes me feel much better.
Stress isn’t the only thing we have been feeling either. We are all incredibly excited and looking forward to beginning our new lives, but we have a mountain to climb first and with each step, there’s a new emotion. Worry, anticipation, fear, happiness, uncertainty… the list goes on. We know we are making a great choice for our family for many reasons, but it is so hard to walk away from what has been our home for so long.
Now in August we have been separated in some way for the best part of 8 weeks on and off. The girls have remained in Italy with their Nonna and extended family while we navigate the many jobs on our list. 4.5 weeks from now we will all be reunited and ready to embark on our new adventure!
Gopopolo Travel 
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