... accepting a new job!

So its finally official, I have accepted a job in Helsingborg, Sweden. So all I need to do now is negotiate a starting date, hand in my notice and leave!
Unfortunately, its not quite that simple...! My current job have asked my new boss (I am staying within the same company, just moving abroad) if I can stay long enough to finish some of the projects I have been doing, but obviously my new boss wants me to start as soon as possible...oh the fun of negotiation!
At the moment it looks like I might end up going to Sweden for 3/4 weeks, and then coming back for a few weeks and Christmas, and officially starting the new job in January. Ah well, I guess things will work out right in the end.
On top of this I keep thinking of other things I need to do before I leave....
1. Sell my car (Honda S2000 anybody??)
2. Sell my TV (39" LCD anybody??)
3. Go to my bank and have a talk about keeping an English account open, and transferring all my money to Sweden once I have an account there
4. Try and fit in enough leaving do's and drinks that I can see everyone I want to before I go
...and the list just keeps growing!

One nice thing about preparing to leave is how many people tell you that they will miss you...and as of now I haven't had anyone saying that they wont (no, now is not a good time to start thanks!) Its strange how you don't really think about all the people and things involved in your life until you decide to change it....

So the plan for the blog:
I hope to write in here quite often, and keep anyone that is interested up to date on my plans and happenings, partly because I am lazy and it saves telling everyone individually, but also because I hope that this will be at least partly useful to other people who want to move to Helsingborg/Sweden/generally abroad. I can't guarantee that it will be of any use at all of course, but I can try.
So if you want to know anything, or want more detail on anything, just let me know, and I will try my best to accommodate :)

I guess as time goes by you will learn more about me (those of you that don't know far too much already!) but I guess its probably a good time to start the process...

I am a 27 year old from Stalybridge, a smallish town about 6 miles east of Manchester in the UK, and I work in IT for a pretty well known Swedish furniture company. I am not however a typical Manc, I was born in Chester, moved to Saudi Arabia when I was about 6 months old, moved to Hong Kong when I was about 2, and then moved back to the UK when I was about 11... so my childhood and schooling are not all that common! I think I can safely blame part of what I have decided to do on that background, I am getting itchy feet from staying in the same place for so long, and know just how big and different this world is, and want to experience some other parts of it!
Why Sweden?? Well...I guess that Sweden was kinda a default for me, if I wanted to stay with my company (which I did) Its the headquarters really, and the best place for me to progress my career, and hopefully develop me as well! Plus I have always liked the idea of that part of Europe...I find it really pretty and like the laid back lifestyle. Not sure how well I will cope with the cold, but at least I am in the very South of Sweden so its about as good as I am going to get really! Oh, and I also really like ski-ing, so it makes sense to move to a country where I can do that...often!
Why now?? I think I have just got to a part of my life where I am ready...I finished my degree in IT a few years ago, and have built up a good knowledge base in the jobs I have done since. I have also come to realise I think I am best suited to be in some sort of management role, and there aren't that many opportunities for them in the IT structure of my company in the UK. Its been a very hard decision really, I know I will miss my friends and family, and one of the hardest things has been knowing that I will miss a lot of my nephews growing up. But I think I have grown up enough now (finally) to be able to cope with it, and start a new life in Sweden. Don't ask how I know...it just feels right. It also helps that I am single, and don't have all that many worldly possessions to tie me down...I only have to think about me when making my decisions.

I don't even have a house yet, but I am going to use this as the first of many times that I extend a pretty much open invitation to visit (provided I do actually know you....!) I plan on getting a house big enough to accommodate a few visitors at once, so if you do fancy a visit to Sweden, just let me know when you want to come!

So what have I learnt this week...
You don't always know what you have until you decide to leave it
I am capable of making hard decisions
I put far too many exclamation marks in my sentences!