Thursday, September 30, 2010

A teaching moment

Hmm does that bench look familiar?  :)  (Sort of, except now the foliage is in bloom.)


What I learned

1) I need to recommit myself.  To the church, the gospel, to growing my testimony, to living closer to the spirit.  It is through doing these things that I will have the guidance needed from day to day and throughout my life.

2) Whatever decisions that I make in life, nothing is so important in the eternal scheme of things, as family.

3) I was reminded that Satan and his influence are ever-present, and relentless.  Understanding the endowment more fully is key to resisting and overcoming.
a) The only way to understand the endowment more fully is to go to the temple regularly.
b) I feel that one of Satan's greatest tools that he uses on me is doubt.  I will never understand everything about everything, and there is going to be doubt in me from time to time.  So, go to the temple regularly; continue to learn about the endowment.

4) I am still amazed and consider my teaching moment a tremendous blessing and mercy upon one who didn't deserve it in the least, but who needed it.  This is testimony to me that God loves me and is mindful of me, and will let me know it if I will but seek Him.  I know that He is this way with all of His children.

I went hoping to at least find some calm in my heart.  I found that and so much more.  The sweetness of the spirit and overwhelming feeling of love.  Something I hope everyone experiences in their life.  I hope I never forget.  I am so glad I went.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Dogs will be dogs


The little stinker.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Sister Love

Today after work, Geoff went to the gym while I studied.  When he got home, we played with Gwennie and did some laundry while watching a DVR of the new show Sister Love.  It was an interesting show and I'm really intrigued to watch the rest of the season.  Although it is about a Utah family, I was glad that the guy set the record straight that they are not mormons, and not associated with the Latter Day Saints.  So many people think we are polygamists.  I think that their family seemed okay... no forced marriages, at young ages, and no child abuse or anything even close to that nature.  But the news is saying that the family is now being investigated for bigamy since the airing of the show.  But if the situation is working for them and they are happy (and not abusive) then I don't see why they shouldn't be able to choose that for themselves.  The laws may say different though, I don't really know anything about it.  Geoff says, "TLC, ruining one family at a time."

Anyway.  Nothing sounds better right now than to go relax with my hubby and go to sleep.

Indecisive Ingrid?

(VS Debbie Downer or Nervous Nellie.  I know I'm a HUGE dork.  Roll with it.)

So last week.

I waivered between doing a Macc or an MBA, or a Macc or an MBA or a Macc (or something else entirely!)
I couldn't decide between going to grad school next fall or not going
I wondered if I should quit my job, and if so, when, and what would I do afterwards

It was kind of exhausting and by the end of the week I was snapping at poor Geoff for no reason.  Yesterday helped, we went up the canyon and walked around Sundance, which was beautiful.  We found some hikes that we'd like to try next weekend.  I hope the weather is good enugg!  Then I just layed around, napping, watching TV, and went visiting teaching at four.  SO NICE!  I refused to think about work or do any homework. 

Out of those three items, the one that I've made a decision on is not to go to grad school next fall.  I mean, given my track record, there's no promising that'll stick, but for now.  We'll go wherever Geoff gets accepted and decides to go, and I'll work.  I'm hoping to rejuvenate some interest in accounting with a new job, and it'll give me more time to decide between degrees.  I never wanted to do an MBA because I feel they're sort of a dime a dozen these days (sort of), and the program is two years vs one, and I hated the business management capstone we had to do, taught by the teacher that's heading up the MBA program at UVU or something.  I just couldn't see myself surviving two years of that stuff.  But, and it's weird, but I had a feeling that that was what I needed to do?  But I would miss this year's deadline for most MBA programs.  Anyway, I'm giving myself another year to figure it out, or come to terms with it.  We'll see.   

Since I'm not going to grad school right away - and maybe not even in accounting, I tried to drop my auditing class, but I missed the drop deadline by a week.  I guess it can't hurt to have done it though.

Anyway, my thought now, and I'm excited, is where will we go?  I don't know or care but I'm excited for a new adventure!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Fall colors

Geoff told one of the kids in his program that I like fall colors, and they made me this...

Sundance






Friday, September 24, 2010

What a material misstatement

Okay, this made me laugh so I'ma gonna share.

A key term to learn from chapter 7 of the auditing textbook:

Relevant Assertion:
According to the book:  "A financial statement assertion that has a reasonable possibility of containing a misstatement or misstatements that would cause the financial statements to be materially misstated."

HA HAH AHAHA!  Seriously?  Could they have made it more rendundant than that?  Were the BYU professors smoking crack when they wrote it?  Couldn't they have said it more like this:

"A financial statement assertion that has a reasonable possibility of containing a material misstatement."

I guess you can charge more for a book if there are more words in it.

Personally, I think that the information in this book would best portray the auditing information in this book if this book is taken in strides, meaning to be read skimmingly and not without a grain or grains of salt.

Happy Friday

Laundry
Light cleaning
Teen Mom
The Big Bang Theory

Guess who spent last night doing/watching those things, instead of studying for the online quiz which is due at midnight tonight?

Guess who now has to spend her Friday night studying this... (bleh)


Yep, this girl...

But tomorrow night we're going to the Haunted Forest - Happy Cali!  (Indifferent pug...)


Sure am glad I've got one of these!

Happy Friday!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

We wanna rock and roll all night!

 


Dad, Mom

Alison, Danielle, Mom
Kelsey, Erik
Cali, Geoff
Dad, Mom, Cali, Geoff, Alison, Erik, Kelsey, Danielle, Photobomber 1, Photobomber 2
The band

More pics / details / videos to come later!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Too much food

You can say that I'm the one curly fry in the box of a regular
Messing with the flavor, oh the flavor that you savor
Saving me for last, but you better not eat me at all
Living in a fastfood bag making friends with the ketchup and salt
People say that I'm crazy for not moving on to better things
Instead of sitting around trash talking with the onion rings
But it's much too soon to leave this easy life
Pass me the spoon, pass the analytical knife

Well if you are what you eat, in my case, I'd be sweet.


Geoff's dad left back for home today.

*Tucahno's
*In'N'Out Burger
*Village Inn
*Golden Corral
Apple Spice Junction
Artic Circle

*These are where the three of us went together - the other two were on my own or with coworkers

Those are the places I have eaten at since Friday.  I'm pretty grossed out by looking at that huge list.  While it all tastes very good of course, I won't say it was good for my digestive system- sorry to anyone who noticed.  I actually got myself some PB&J for work - not necessarily healthy, but better than a burger and fries - so I can try to avoid eating out for awhile.  Because eating out is a fun treat, but I'm happy to stick with my bowls of cereal/sandwhiches/boiled eggs/soup for awhile.  :)

Other things we did were drive by the Oquirrh Mtn and Draper temples, albeit with a smoke-filled sky, and went to church.  We played music trivia with Pandora, and watched almost the entire first season of Parenthood.  On Saturday night Geoff & I went to a birthday party for an hour. 

I started reading the Outlander again.  Was trying to get to the end of the semester before starting book 3, because once I get started I will be reading for hours, and there's homework to do.  But, I am addicted.  And since I don't have book 3, I just started over on book 1.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Lame blog title contest winner

A long time ago, I changed my blog settings so that you aren't supposed to be able to find my blog using a search engine.  Then I went private.

Well today I tested it, I typed "Geoff and Cali" into google and guess what it gives you... the direct URL to my blog.  Ha.  I was really considering going "unprivate" again next fall, but it will probably stay private forever now... oh well. 

Guess what else I found when googling ourselves - "Geoffery's Malibu".  Dude.  I WISH that was my Geoffrey's malibu.  'Cept they spelled his name wrong oops.

Today I had this thought that maybe I won't apply to grad school for next fall.  I know, I'm being incredibly wishy-washy.  On the grounds that I don't know if I still want to do accounting and should maybe take more time to figure it out.  I could work while Geoff does his first year and then apply.  Maybe I'll be able to get a job that has nothing to do with taxes and I'll realize that I still like accounting and will be much more confident in my choice.  (If not, then maybe I'll be able to find something else that I'd like to do.) And it would be nice to have some money while Geoff's in school.  I don't want to say that paying down student loans is a bad thing, but maybe we shouldn't've spent so much on them all at once.  Ya know, we coulda lived on it or something.  But it is what it is. 

So those are the upsides to waiting another year.  The downsides, are my potential to feel stagnated at having "wasted" another year and get depressed, that my biological clock is ticking - and no, I have no desire for kids at this time but you know, if I want at least a couple of children then I have to start trying before it becomes too late, and I don't want to start on kids before school is over and we've had a chance to travel some.  Also, it puts the Scotland dream that much further away, which is actually the one that made me cry the most - during work - right when Geoff called.

Actually, Geoff is being very awesome about my wishy-washy-ness.  He's being supportive of whatever I want to do, and assures me that we have plenty of time to do all of that stuff, and that he's not worried about it at all, and everything will work out. 

Speaking of Geoff - he's thinking about being emo for halloween this year - you think he could pull it off?  He totally could, especially now that his hair is longer.


Not sure what Gwennie will be yet, but we're definitely dressing her up.


Oh and she's staying at my mom's for a few nights while Geoff's dad is here.  Mom just sent me a text that says:  So as I gave Kola a bath, Gwen jumped in.  It was too funny.  She wanted to get in the tub so bad.  So she had a bath too.  Ha ha how cute is that!  She's obsessed with bathtubs, it's so weird.  She whines and tries to get in our bathtub all the time, and a few times she's even made it, with a good running a start.

This one from just barely.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Coming soon

This blog needs more happiness.  I'm going to try to post more pictures. 

I lack the following things:
  • photographic talent
  • a decent photoshop program (unless you call Paint decent)
  • kids, to be in the pictures
  • a lean body to be proud of
What I do have:
  • a camera
  • a connector cord
  • a cute husband and cute puppy, to be in the pictures
  • a desire for more pictures in the blog

So when you see a crummy picture of something I thought was cool/pretty, please don't judge.  Just sayin'.  Shanksh.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

1% ers

So the other day Geoff was gassing up at a 7-11 in Salt Lake, and three one-percenters, Banditos, came to the store while he was there.  He's seen all the biker gangs on the Gangland TV show and it fascinates him.  He recognized not only who they were, but could tell which two were still "in training" and which one was the full-fledged member, and said they were even following protocols.  It kills me.  I'm so glad he didn't get too excited and say or do something to draw negative attention, cuz those people are freakin' scary.  (Thankfully he is smarter than that.)  Especially if they haven't completed their initiation or whatever it is, who knows.  You may think I sound paranoid or overly-judgemental, but I'd say you seriously can't be too careful; they don't get the name one-percenters without reason.  I just don't get the whole gang violence mentality.  Really, that's all there is to live for?  It's just sad and it makes me angry when they intentionally hurt other people (not just biker gangs but any gang).  Just so pointless.  Anyway, that's my little rant.  Sorry about that.

There's another biker gang that he sees members from driving around SLC once in awhile, but hasn't been able to read the name on the jacket.  Mom and dad ran into some in Colorado one time (I think Colorado?) and mom actually asked to have her picture taken with them; I forget what group they were from.  She said they were really nice... they were HUGE.  She crazy lady.

Geoff's dad is on his way down from Oregon (almost here) and will be staying with us for a few days, so I might not blog for a few days.  Celebrate the fact that tomorrow is the weekend!  Yay!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Some favorites of late

-Coming home on my lunch break and dozing on the couch with Gwennie on my lap
-Watching Teen Mom with Geoff
-Walking into a suddenly clean kitchen (thanks Geoff you are so good at that)
-Looking forward to our weekend dates and trying new things together
-Lying in bed and laughing about stuff
-Hanging out with Al
-Back/Neck/Arm scratches
-New clothes
-Imagining what life will be like in Seattle/Texas/Colorado/California/Alabama/Phoenix/Wherever we end up
-Fall weather/anticipation of Halloween
-Snuggling
-Seeing pictures of beautiful Utah scenery and appreciatining the beauty around me a little more
Purple Mtns Magesty
I've never seen this particular view before, but if that is the other side of Utah Lake then it must be the Eagle Mtn/ Saratoga Springs area and I've never been over there before.

Mt Timpanogos

My favorite for tonight: making grilled cheese/tomato soup dinner, walking Gwennie, and settling in for some serious study time!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Data sufficiency whooba whatey?

Okay, so tonight I really started GMAT studying...  I'm on page 102 of my book which is 596 pages long... that is 102/596 = 51/298 or approximately 1/6 of the way along when rounded to the nearest multiple of 10.  Ha ha.  I think I have put it off for so long because I was terrified I wouldn't remember or know anything, having not really learned it for reals in the first place (ahem - statistics).  But the basic math review is easy to follow along so far.  Moving on to ratios, percentages, and exponents tomorrow.  Or Wednesday, since I'll be pooped tomorrow when I get home.  Still have a long way to go, but it feels great to finally make some progress.  Man if I can get 50 pages behind me each time I study, this will go a lot faster than I expected.

The entire wagon to one star

So we had a weekend-long discussion this last weekend about our plans - needless to say I didn't get anything else done.  I brought up the idea of going to grad school in Scotland and I think Geoff realized that I was more serious than not about this whole thing (true) but he thought that I wanted to pack up everything right now and move there right now, for the rest of our lives (not true) and he was not so into that.  But once we got that all worked out, we were able to come up with a very tentative plan. 

We're going to add the University of Edinburgh to our list of grad schools to apply for.  It will take both of us getting in if we are to make it work because the only visa either of us could possibly work on right now is the student visa.  If that doesn't work, then we'll go to grad school here as initially planned, and build up our education and make higher earnings for a couple of years so that we can both qualify for the Tier 1 visa, which is the "highly skilled" visa and the one that doesn't require you to have a job before you move there.  This will take about 5 years minimum (1 yr until grad school starts, 2 yrs to complete both of our programs, and 2 yrs of hopefully higher earnings, as required by the visa).  The third option, is the Tier 2 visa which means you have to first get a job with a registered employer who is willing to sponsor you, and is very very difficult to get.  Tonight we plan to go extensively over the different visa requirements and see exactly where we stand and what we'd need to do.

If/When we eventually get over there, we're just going to stay for a few years (be it in work or school), and decide if we like it enough to stay for a long time.  If we fall in love with the place, then I'll apply for the Chartered Accountant training program, since it's not really of any use in the US.

I'm happy with this because we'll be doing everything we possibly can to get there, and if it doesn't work out, then at least we know we did everything we could.  Although I told Geoff I hope against hope that it works out because I want to go so so bad.  He said he can't really see any drawbacks to doing this, only benefits, with the exception that there's a chance we might not like it.  But he's very excited, as am I.  I'm glad we're on the same page.

Relatedly, Geoff gently suggested to me, through this process, that I might be depressed because I have no motivation any more for work, career, or life in general, and haven't really for some time.  And that this Scotland thing is my light at the end of the tunnel, and maybe I should go see someone.  I remember blogging about "to what end" is all of this for?  It's a plan but to what end.  Well, it's true that Scotland has become my "end" so to speak, pretty much a reason to do all of this.  Like the means finally have an end.  I don't know, maybe hitching my entire wagon to this one star is only asking for disappointment (which I do not handle well at all), but I'm still going to try.  And I'm not against therapy but I just don't know if what I'm experiencing is any different than with every other schmoe who gets sick of their routine.  I don't know if they'd be able to tell me anything other than to either suck it up or switch careers.

So anyway.  That's all for now.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Role reversal

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

This quiz says I'm a Mastermind.  Head and shoulders above the rest at contingency planning, ha ha.  If plan A doesn't work out, I'll apparently be prepared to switch to plan B or C or D.

Geoff is a Provider.  Sociable and making sure everyone is taken care of.  Extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, sympathetic.

There's actually a whole page of results, you just have to click on the "description for" link after you get the final ruling. 

What are you?

Friday, September 10, 2010

House

Tonight I'm spending the night at a friend's house.  She believes it is haunted but won't talk about it in the house.  I wouldn't doubt it is haunted; it's old as the hills and makes the hairs on your neck stand up at times.  I spent the night there once a couple years ago and didn't sleep very well because I was scared, but all well.  I'm still going to obedience training with Gwennie and Geoff, and I'll try to make it down there in time for the drive-in.  I'm excited I think it'll be fun.

It's quickly becoming fall around here and it is awesome.  I love it.  For awhile we'd been talking about school in Las Vegas or Arizona or somewhere that the sun shines perpetually.  But I think I would probably miss the season changes and the occasional thunder/snow storm.  I've been enjoying the storms from the last few months quite a lot.  I'm not even sad that winter will be here in two months.  (Course, it helps when you just got the cutest coat ever with the gift card from your mother in law, but still.)  :)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Fun day huh

Well today was work, then school.  Geoff and I got home at the same time, and he went to pick up prescriptions while I went to spanish to pick up Gwennie.  Now it's time for bed.  I am still sad about the work permit thing.  But I love my home.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

IcebErg. I can spell.

So. This is a little disheartening.  But I've learned that in order to get a work permit or a green card in Ireland, you first have to be offered a job.  That job can only be in specific fields, and you have to make a very high salary or you can't work in Ireland.  Further, the company that hires you must apply for your work permit, proving to the government that they did everything possible to hire an EU citizen first and that you are better than all of the current residents (they don't want foreigners taking the citizens' jobs), hold the job open for at least 8 weeks for you, then they must pay the government a large fee for two years in order for you to work for them.  Basically, you have to be really hot stuff to even think about getting a job there.

And that is merely the tip of the iceberg.

I'm not sure if I'd qualify as a student or a worker - provided I even got into the program - and whether or not I could get a permit, but we'd need Geoff to work, and it pretty much sounds next to impossible, for anyone.  Basically, if we want to move/work/study there in the next three years at the earliest, something (meaning their laws and policies) would probably have to change between now and then.  Sigh.

The UK (including Scotland) have something similar.  They are trying to protect the jobs of their citizens, which is good, but it makes it extremely difficult if not impossible for a foreigner to enter their country and stay for any amount of time.  I want to go so bad it's all I can think about.  This is so depressing I want to cry.  I don't know what will happen.  I still want to go, but I don't know what will happen. 

A few weeks ago, Geoff and I watched a documentary called "Big Rig" about the lives of long haul truck drivers.  There was one guy, from Holland or something.  Such a happy go lucky guy.  He was driving through California, remarking on its beauty and how much he loves America.  He says, "You want to come to America and work, you work!  You want to go to my country and work, NO FREAKING WAY!  Here, I am free!"  And off he went, happy as a clown.  We wondered what he meant by "no freaking way," and maybe this is it.  I mean I still have a little hope, but I don't know, we'll see.  It's a huge bummer.

I've tried contacting this girl on facebook that went with her husband while he studied there, but she isn't responding to me.

Say what now?


Did I say I wanted to go to Ireland?  I changed my mind, let's go here instead.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Stuff

So last night mom invited us down for dinner.  They gave me a birthday present - a gift card to iTunes, t-shirt, and key-lime chocolate from Key West. (They just got back from a week in Florida.)  We watched a rerun of yesterday's BYU football game, and some boring home videos that Geoff suffered through without complaint.  We had brought some games, but we ended up not playing them.  Probably next time.

In church yesterday, we talked about being grateful for everything we have.  It wasn't even what the lesson was about but it's the part I remember.  I know I have a tendency to get proud and think that what we have is because we're so cool, but it's not true.  Last night I felt particularly grateful for my warm comfortable bed, my husband, and our home. 

Yesterday Geoff mentioned that the deadline to apply for his program at U of U is in November - almost a year in advance!  I don't think my deadlines are that early but all the schools will be different and it made me realize I need to get my butt in gear.  And how can I ever expect to move to Ireland if I can't even make myself study for a GMAT?  So.  I want to go to this Mod Bod store and see if they still have anything on sale, but after that I'm spending the day studying.  And I do appreciate having an extra day off to get started.

Update: Boy some day... ended up skipping the clothing store and got to work on homework. Spent most of the day on that. Went out of the house once for a Wal-mart run. Now the weekend is over. We played Scrabble and watched a documentary on the Yes Men. They were just like any extremists/political activists making a documentary, but they sure are brilliant social engineers. I can't believe the stuff they got away with! Bought the new Lifehouse album with my gift card. It has a lot of good songs.

I forgot to mention that Alison and I went to the mall on Saturday and she got me a way cute new shirt too for my birthday.  It was sweet of her.  I have enjoyed hanging out with her a lot.  I would def. miss my sis a lot if we move away.

Today Geoff told me that if he dies before me, he wants to me tell them to put his body in the Tomb of the Damned... the Damned Good Looking, that is.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Show us your teeth!

The funk of forty thousand years

Last night Geoff had to work at a high school in Salt Lake, and he wanted to stay for this big rival football game - East vs. West High.  Alison and I went and joined him.  It was pretty fun, all the news stations were there, including the KSL Chopper 5 which flew around and around... (weird because you could see the KSL building down the block, don't know why they needed to bring their chopper?)  Anyway.  As we were standing there watching the chopper fly around, Geoff turns to me and says, "wouldn't it be cool if it just started dumping buckets of blood on everyone?"  Uh....        the random, morbid thoughts of this man I call husband...  ha ha, I might be shocked if I didn't know that's just who he is - with a fascination for gore and a sometimes morbid sense of humor.  It made me think back to that little booklet that he made in the first grade in which his head got chopped off and he liked it.  Lol.  Good thing Halloween is coming up.  We're already planning to go to the Castle of Chaos the minute it opens, and planning our costumes too.

I also got to meet the high school staff that is introducing him to everyone and getting the high school involved in the program, and she was very nice - she reminded me of Geoff's mom because she was so tiny - and she introduced him to the coach.  Geoff is very much in his element with his work.  I think he was born to do what he does, with the relationship building for the program and the working with kids.  He does truly love to get involved and does a very good job. 

Anyway after the game - we left a little early - we went to Moochies (which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives) and got subs.  Definitely a dive, little hole in the wall, but it was yummy all right.  We came home and read from the would-you-rather book with Alison for awhile then I started falling asleep and she left.

Today Geoff has class from 10:15 to 1:45.  I'll get as much cleaning done as I can, then we'll try to make it to the Provo Farmer's market before it closes.  I really want to go to Maurices and spend my gift card, asap.  So maybe do that today too.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Farmer's Market

Had class tonight, then Geoff and I went back to Pleasant Grove to their weekly farmer's market.  We enjoy browsing through stuff - I actually got some earrings from the same girl that made the ones my friend gave me earlier this week - they are so cute!  When this girl gets her website up I will definitely be promoting it because I love the jewelry!  We also got burritos, could only finish half of mine.  And we got some ocean-scented soap for Geoff.  There were a lot of really good soaps this time, that I actually liked.  I'll probably go back next week with some more cash and get a few more.

TGTF! (Thank Goodness Tomorrow's Friday!)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Thoughts

K I know I'm writing about this way too much, but I've been reading like crazy and now there's a ton of stuff rolling around in my head, and this seems like a fine place to get it out. 

Out of the three Institutes I looked into (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland, Scotland, and England & Wales) requirement differ, but the basic pattern is the same.  Get accepted to the "programme" and find an authorized trainer to work for for a minimum of three years (depending on prior experience).  While in training, attend classes - times & dates set by the Institute.  While training and attending classes, pass a series of examinations.  Upon completion of training, classes, and exams, you are officially eligible for an ACA (or CA if you're in Scotland) and membership of that Institute.  (The Institutes are the AICPA equiv.)  The trainer, because they are authorized, not only pay you a salary for working for them, they also pay for your tuition.  Sounds like a pretty great deal to me!  Guaranteed work, paid tuition, experience, all in one. 

The big difference between CPA requirements and these three institute requirements, is that there are no hard and fast rules on education prior to entering training.  You can enter training with only some college (called a "school leaver"), or with a degree in something totally unrelated to accounting.  Although, I gather that most of the students they admit have completed their graduate studies. - and I imagine that you'd have better opportunities if you've done that, although it was never spoken on the websites.  And if you don't have a UK-approved degree, which I won't, since I'm in the USA, I will have to send my transcripts to a place called NARIC, who will then write me back and tell me what my degree is equivalent to in the U.K., and make suggestions for further education, if needed.  Application for training will have to be done about 14 months in advance.

I've also been reading a lot about the pros and cons of living in Scotland - some of the cons were a big enough deal to make me consider harder, for example, the cost of living is about double that of the U.S., though less than London.  It seems to be very difficult to find suitable rentals or open a bank account unless you've already been there a long time.  And, it's best to move to Scotland only if you've already been offered a job, otherwise work can be difficult to find.  I'm sure that varies across industries, but one thing I know is that Unemployed Husband = Unhappy Husband.  (I would be fine since we wouldn't even be there if I weren't in training).  I would hate for him to have a miserable experience due to lack of work.  Though social work is needed pretty much everywhere, so I can't be sure what would happen on that.  But reviews of expats who live in Scotland - peoplt that it has worked out for, obviously - mostly report that they love it.

Haven't gotten that far on Ireland yet, except I've learned that there's a lot of hoops to jump through if you want to bring your pet.  Lots more to research, but we've got time.  I've decided that no matter what happens, it is still a good idea to get a master's degree in the U.S.  If something doesn't work out, or if we do move away for a few years and decide to come back, then I will want to have that.  So it will be awhile yet but that is still the course at this point.