As I think we've told most everyone, we didn't know exactly when we were moving to Switzerland. It depended on the ubiquitous paperwork, and I thought there was no way Rand would get there to start on December 1. So here it was the Monday before Thanksgiving and we still hadn't gotten the word that the visas were ready when he sends the alarms-blaring email to Alstom saying oh no oh no, no visa, no go. Wouldn't you know then,
Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving, I'm ready to shower for work when Rand stops me, wide-eyed, "Visas are ready NOW". I managed to reach someone at the Consulate in Atlanta to learn that yes, we have the approval for Mr. Ward, but none for Ms. Thornton. Consulate will be open from 8:30 to 11:30am on Wednesday, then -- The Holiday. One more alarm email to Alstom, I call in to work for the rest of the week (hee hee), and down to Atlanta we go.
I reached Lance that morning to let him know we were coming with no notice and was so sad that we wouldn't get to see him. But I did get the fabulous places suggestions, so after traveling all day, we checked into a hotel which turned out to be right across the street from the Consulate (fabulous planning, Caroline), and went out for a late night at the Spice Market in the W Hotel where I had the most amazing ginger margaritas and a stacked green papaya salad. The hotel and restaurant were straight out of theme Vegas, so we loved it.
Oh yeah, and the next morning we got both visas, no problems, except that the Consulate wasn't even listed on the directory in the building where we thought it was. It felt like going to a secret installation that no one knows exists in the anonymous high-rise. We had to ask the security guard. Very tricksy.
Driving home not too bad, even though it was the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. We left Atlanta at 9:45 with the visas, weren't we proud.
And I got to see the giant peach butt in the sky one more time before leaving all lovely Southern things behind.
Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving, I'm ready to shower for work when Rand stops me, wide-eyed, "Visas are ready NOW". I managed to reach someone at the Consulate in Atlanta to learn that yes, we have the approval for Mr. Ward, but none for Ms. Thornton. Consulate will be open from 8:30 to 11:30am on Wednesday, then -- The Holiday. One more alarm email to Alstom, I call in to work for the rest of the week (hee hee), and down to Atlanta we go. 
I reached Lance that morning to let him know we were coming with no notice and was so sad that we wouldn't get to see him. But I did get the fabulous places suggestions, so after traveling all day, we checked into a hotel which turned out to be right across the street from the Consulate (fabulous planning, Caroline), and went out for a late night at the Spice Market in the W Hotel where I had the most amazing ginger margaritas and a stacked green papaya salad. The hotel and restaurant were straight out of theme Vegas, so we loved it.
Oh yeah, and the next morning we got both visas, no problems, except that the Consulate wasn't even listed on the directory in the building where we thought it was. It felt like going to a secret installation that no one knows exists in the anonymous high-rise. We had to ask the security guard. Very tricksy.
And I got to see the giant peach butt in the sky one more time before leaving all lovely Southern things behind.
