Moving...again!

We are moving the Holland! Where do I begin…over a year ago, Helmut posted his resume to the Shell website. Evidently they take your resume and plug it into the jobs they have available that match your experience and qualifications. I am not sure if they didn’t have anything at the time or if it really takes a year to process these kinds of applications, but we didn’t hear anything. But I was none the wiser; because of course he never even told me he sent them his resume.

Fast forward to mid July. Helmut hears from the HR department at Shell. They want to set up a phone interview. Over the next couple of weeks he has a few phone interviews with various HR people and a few Engineering Managers. We also receive a phone call from a headhunter about a job for BP in Alaska. I was very clear from the beginning about my total lack of interest in moving to Alaska (I didn’t want to get backdoored into that deal). Things continued to progress with Shell and they ask him to come into the Houston office for an interview. Then they call back and change their minds about the interview. They want a videoconference with Helmut, the Houston Engineering Managers, and The Hague office. Helmut convinced them a face to face with the people in The Hague office would be much better.

We got him all outfitted with a new suit, new shoes, new belt, new socks, new shirt and new tie. He flew to The Hague and gave his 20-minute presentation and then answered question for the next hour and a half. They verbally offered him a job in The Netherlands the next morning.

Right now we are waiting for our visas to clear. Of course we have so much else to do as well…coordinate with the movers, get everyone’s passport up to date, complete the school applications, sell the van, and the list goes on and on. It looks like we should head out of Houston around the second week in September. Helmut gave notice at Bechtel on Thursday. I know it was really hard for him. They are so busy with work right now that his absence will leave them terribly short handed. He has also made many friends at work over the past thirteen years that he will miss.

At first we had hoped the Shell job would be with the office here in Houston. The boys have only been here in school for two years and I wanted them to have a little more time here before we asked them to move again. Once I started researching living in The Netherlands, I started getting really excited about going. I have never even been to Europe before and I am really looking forward to the chance to explore it over the next two plus years. I have almost memorized my Holland travel guide and I have ordered a bunch more on Amazon.com. I am a little nervous about starting another adventure, but I am trying to only look at the positive points (trying to forget about not knowing anyone, not being able to speak or read Dutch, not knowing where anything is, hunting down American groceries, figuring out all the ins and outs of living in a new place, I’d better stop listing them because it is just depressing me).

The kids are incredibly excited. Sam talks about her room in Holland all the time, yet has no idea what that really is. Josh is looking forward to “being back to our old traveling selves.” Helmut was very upset at first, but has jumped on the bandwagon. Let’s hope we can all keep it up when the going gets rough. In the meantime, we are anxious for the visas to clear and the next chapter of our lives to begin!