We are going to live in Europe!

Well, we are going for it! There is no better time for us to take an extended tour of Europe and we are jumping in. We are going to head out this fall and travel through the following spring. There is a ton of stuff to do to get ready so I plan to blog about the preparation, just in case, anyone else out there might be wanting to do the same thing. We will be homeschooling our two girls (they will be in 4th and 6th grade) moving and living in several different countries and having the time of our lives.

One of our biggest concerns (besides missing our family and friends) is our animals. We have two cats, two small dogs, two fish and two birds, sort of a Noah’s Arc around here… We love our pets and have struggled on what to do with them. We think we have some wonderful temporary homes for most of our animals and are contemplating taking our dogs with us. France, being such a dog loving country, could be fun. I have memories of being in French cafes with pooches sleeping under their owners table in fluffy dog beds. It would be thrilling to have them join us on our journey.

I have been researching about a European Dog Passport which is needed before you bring your dog into Europe. In order to get this passport your dog must have a microchip, be vaccinated for rabies and have a “vet check” to make sure they are healthy. Your vet will need to fill out the necessary paperwork to prove that your pet has a clean bill of health.  Once you have your pet passport it allows you to travel between many different EU countries. It is important to make sure your dog can handle such a journey. My dogs are great travelers and would rather be with us. Saying this, I know it is a big deal to travel with them so far and I do not take this lightly. We have to stay in pet approved places and make special arrangements with the airlines. It is a lot but I cannot imagine saying goodbye to them for 7 plus months, it is hard enough leaving our other animals. We will definitely look forward to our whole family being together again upon our return.

So this is the beginning of what I imagine to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. To travel with my family and teach my children the love of travel and the joy of exploring different cultures will change their lives forever. I cannot wait!