A high-level look at the moving process...

To give you a sense of the process, here's an abridged set of our to-do list highlights starting in the summer of 2007. (There are about 50 bullets here, but the original list is closer to 150.) Just before this began, from January to May 2006, Katherine and I completed another large to-do list for our wedding...not to mention that, throughout this list, Katherine and I were both working full-time (Katherine on her dissertation, me for the Michigan Medical School) and, on weekends, I traveled to Virginia Tech football games. I guess we've been pretty busy for awhile. ;>

Take a deep breath - here we go...!

• Begin selling property that won't come to Hong Kong (1 July 07 at 1:07PM)
• Check with HKU about relocation reimbursements (19 Aug 07 at 12:40PM)
• Open internationally-friendly bank account (19 Aug 07 at 12:41PM)
• Draft moving and monthly HK living budgets (19 Aug 07 at 4:53PM)
• Decide on USA forwarding address, update needed services (20 Aug 07 at 9:48AM)
• Query international accountants (27 Aug 07 at 2:17PM)
• Query international moving companies (9 Sep 07 at 10:22AM)
• Move UM direct deposit, PayPal, etc to new bank (10 Sep 07 at 9:53PM)
• Apply to HK AF dept for Fui Fui's import premit (13 Sep 07 at 5:36PM)
• Book flights for Gray, Katherine, and Fui Fui (16 Sep 07 at 3:18PM)
• Change billing information for needed online services like Skype (17 Sep 07 at 7:05PM)
• Order extra copies of marriage and birth certificates (20 Sep 07 at 8:43AM)
• Link new bank account with investment portfolio (1 Oct 07 at 2:45PM)
• Enroll in internationally-friendly UM health insurance plan (8 Oct 07 at 7:36AM)
• Fill out intent to vacate form and submit to landlord (1 Nov 07 at 12:37PM)
• Choose international moving company (4 Nov 07 at 2:39PM)
• Obtain medical records (12 Nov 07 at 1:58PM)
• Cancel unneeded services like Netflix (27 Nov 07 at 4:45PM)
• Choose international accountant (4 Dec 07 at 10:32AM)
• Decide on Hong Kong apartment (6 Dec 07 at 8:56PM)
• Place remaining property for sale on Craig's List (8 Dec 07 at 7:51PM)
• Get move-out packet from landlord (10 Dec 07 at 8:53PM)
• Sign contract and pay international moving company (11 Dec 07 at 8:49PM)
• Sign contract and pay retainer fee to international accountant (11 Dec 07 at 9:10PM)
• Get Lexus and Toyota dealerships to appraise the car and make offers (12 Dec 07 at 6:00PM)
  
• Sign contract and pay for HK apartment (18 Dec 07 at 11:18PM)
• Katherine defends her dissertation (18 Dec 07 at 1:00PM)
• Submit IRS form for tax status change to UM HR (20 Dec 07 at 12:07AM)
• Moving company packs and takes items to cargo ship (20 Dec 07 at 3:49PM)
• Turn in UM keys and parking pass (21 Dec 07 at 4:00PM)
• Make final sales of property that won't come with us (22 Dec 07 at 3:36PM)
• Close friend makes an offer on the car, we accept! (22 Dec 07 at 6:00PM)
  
• Complete change of address form with USPS (23 Dec 07 at 8:33PM)
• Visit vet within 10 days of departure for required Fui Fui check-up (24 Dec 07 at 12:37PM)
• Scan important documents and convert to PDF (24 Dec 07 at 2:15PM)
• Have Department of Health send rabies stats to USDA vet (26 Dec 07 at 9:00AM)
• Learn how to sell car to private buyer (26 Dec 07 at 12:00PM)
  
• Prepare Fui Fui's travel kennel with "wee wee pad" and labels (26 Dec 07 at 11:26AM)
• Return cable box to Comcast (26 Dec 07 at 4:41PM)
• Go to Lansing, have USDA Vet notarize Fui Fui's import documents (27 Dec 07 at 9:59AM)
• Refill any needed prescription medication (27 Dec 07 at 12:02PM)
• Transfer remaining balance from local bank account to international account (27 Dec 07 at 1:53PM)
• Call HK AF dept for Fui Fui and e-mail import documents to them for review (27 Dec 07 at 10:25PM)
• Mistake found on Fui Fui's import documents, return to Lansing for new set (28 Dec 07 at 9:00AM)
• Donate remaining unsold property to Habitat for Humanity, etc (28 Dec 07 at 12:57PM)
• Finalize sale of car (28 Dec 07 at 2:33PM)
• Send Fui Fui to Hong Kong (28 Dec 07 at 2:33PM)
• Walk through Ann Ann apartment with landlord (28 Dec 07 at 4:30PM)
• Pack items to take on airplane (28 Dec 07 at 4:30PM)
• Clean apartment (28 Dec 07 at 4:30PM)
• Fly to Hong Kong (31 Dec 07 at 12:07AM)

The timestamps you see here are more so representative of when I marked the item off the to-do list, not exactly when the event happened. We used a great on-line tool called Remember the Milk to generate this and keep track of everything - I'm not sure we could've executed so precisely without it!