Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, and Still Awaiting A Decision

So the last few Holiday weeks have been amazing. First we had Christmas with the immediate families, and next we had a bunch of friends and family come visit and pretty much had a party with relatives every night for a week! It was AMAZING to see so many people. New Years was pretty low key, but I made it to midnight! Brian and I are still awaiting a decision on my student visa and his defacto partner status. We still need to get plane tickets ($1207 each), Housing and I just received an email from Murdoch informing me that the dorms are currently full and I have to be put on a waitlist. Apparently B and I might be staying in a hostel for a little bit :/ Time to research that life experience! I have been looking on a share accommodation website to maybe find an apartment, but I was hoping to use the dorms. I was planning on staying in the university village because I could use my financial aid to pay it at the end of the first semester, I am not sure how I can afford rent right away, plus learning a new city and transportation system in just like 7 days before orientation starts.

My To-Do List keeps getting more daunting the more days that tick away. Only 20 days until the day we plan to fly out! The hardest part about not having a visa decision is that I do not know if both of us are going, both of us are not going, or I am going and Brian is staying. Any of the decisions means a lot of work:
-I am getting my mom's iphone and I need to unlock it so I can get an australian SIM card
-Order cell phone (for brian) and two SIM cards from company the school is partnered with
--> Tell people our new Australian Cell phone numbers. (If you have an ipad, or ipod/iphone with a front facing camera - you can message me and FaceTime (like skype) with me or Brian for free over wi-fi, so no one gets charged international rates on calls or texts) For Anyone else who is interested, I will be downloading skype as well.
-Set up an Australian Bank Account over internet with Bank that is partnered with school and transfer money into it so I have some Australian dollars when I get there
-A whole list of things to buy to pack along: Voltage Transformer, Anti-histamine, my shampoo and other bathroom essentials, and stuff like that.
-Get on University Waitlist (but can't do that until I know if i need a single bedroom or a couples room)
-Research other housing options
-Taxes
-Go to DMV to check on how to renew license if it expires during the five years we are gone.
-go to my credit union and get US dollars converted to Australian dollars
-Show my parents what food to feed my kitties! My wonderful babies! :D


Completed:
-Visa application and extra documentation that had to be sent it
-Financial Aid paperwork: I signed my award letter and completed my Master Promissory Notes. Since the Vet program is considered a graduate program to the US, I only get unsubsidized loans and Grad Plus, no subsidized loans
-started packing and made a To-Do list! :D


My brian is going to explode if I do not know what is going to happen soon! If all does NOT work out, then I have a backup plan! I won't bore you with the details unless it becomes reality. I've been slowly looking over muscles of the forelimb of the canine in my Saunders Veterinary Anatomy coloring book and I just need to be in school and soon! I miss studying!! :D NERD ALART!!

Cheers to an interesting start to a new year! :D Next time I post I should have some details to share hopefully!!!