I have 4 months to figure out this move — plenty of time, but there’s a lot to be done and a mountain of paperwork. The other complicating factor is that Ramadan is coming in June so certain things need to be finished before Ramadan, but other things can’t be done until a month before we go (during Ramadan) which means the odds of those things getting completed in a timely manner drops to zero.
My dream is to set out for Abu Dhabi by car, in a Saudi Arabian Vacation kind of way. SUV loaded down, Josh in the driver’s seat (since I won’t be allowed to drive), me in my abaya, kids strapped in for the 500 miles across the desert and the dog and the cat wondering what the heck they got themselves into when they joined our crazy family. However, this awesomeness comes at a price. In order to get my bucket list photo of myself in an abaya in front of the IKEA in Saudi Arabia we have to get transit visas for Saudi in addition to our entry visas for UAE. Possible, but more of a headache to try and do this during Ramadan. Then the pets add an extra layer of complication. I would have to import them to Saudi Arabia (and all the fees and paperwork) in addition to the fees and paperwork that will be required to get them into UAE at the end of our journey.
So maybe fly the pets and we’ll drive. But then I have to pay a pet importer to pick them up at the other end and board them or pay an exporter here to board them and put them on a plane after we arrive in UAE. Since that can cost thousands of dollars, the practical side of me is leaning toward scrapping the driving plans and flying with the pets, even if it is a pedestrian way to arrive and would mean losing my chance to get that Saudi stamp in my passport.
But then I have to weigh the cost of a rental car in Abu Dhabi versus the cost of the pet exporter — which way do we come out ahead? And how much value do I ascribe to ease of transition vs the adventure and experience that creates more paperwork? And so the inner debate continues.