Its official!

The news is in. The Grand PooBah's of the bank have signed off and we are now being localised. All the toing and froiing of the last few month are finally resolved. It has been announced by the bank to all the staff and everyone has congratulated each other and patted everyone on the back.

And what an amazing process it has been.

We started talking about this in October 2006 and it is now June 2007. Eight months of huge uncertainty and utter stress.

Eight months of not knowing where we would be living.

Eight months of parallel lives.

We have invited lives in Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sydney, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, London and Paris. We have thought about Moscow, Prague and New York. We have discussed retirement, changes of career and walking away from everything to become waiters in Turkey on our own sailing boat.

The kids have been home schooled, sent to boarding school, public school and private schools. They have theoretically boarded in London, Paris, Thailand and Sydney. We have relocated to France and lived a self-sufficient lifestyle as restaurant owners.

I have worked as waitress in Turkey, a photographer in France and a Compliance Officer in the UK. I have returned to University as a Professor. I have gone into marketing, I have set up web sites and been an entrepreneur.

I have become an author.

And this process , regardless of the decisions made and the stress which it has created, has been incredibly enlightening as it has enabled us to really discuss what sort of life we want to live.

It has prompted a complete re-evaluation of goals, ideas, values and priorities.

We have reevaluated everything that is important to us as a family, as a couple, and as individuals.

And not many people really get a chance to do a complete overhaul of their lives every three years.

It's a good thing.