To do

Lists, lists and more lists! My mind is full of everything I need to do over the next few months, so I thought I’d give you a glimpse into the chaos.

It breaks down as follows:

• Visa (Titre de Séjour or VLS-TS) – I can only apply for the visa less than 3 months before I go (date still TBD). Here’s what I need:
  • Proof of residence in France, signed by city hall in the town I’m going to live in. This can be just a few months in an AirBnB or hotel, but that’s expensive and I want to get settled as soon as possible. I’m on the lookout for apartments.
  • A full year of travel insurance
  • Copies of all pages of my passport that have stamps on them
  • Passport-style photograph
  • Proof of socio-economic situation/proof of funds
• Residency and tax implications
  • Submit Form NR6 to Canada Revene to reduce the automatic 25% tax withholding
  • Close unecessary bank acounts/credit cards (first track and note auto-withdrawals so they can be changed/cancelled
  • Ask questions – lots of them! Such as, when am I officially a non-resident? The answer is not what you think. Thankfully, I’ve found 360 Global Tax. They’ve already been a tremendous help and will be there to guide me through the details I can’t figure out on my own.
• Rent out my Toronto condo
  • I’ll be renting it unfurnished, which means divesting myself of nearly everything I own. I wrote about this a few months ago and am pleased with the progress I’ve made so far.
  • Rent storage unit for the few things I’ll leave behind
  • Sign contract with property management company who will find the tenant and manage everything for me while I’m away
  • Complete small repairs and get ready to stage in spring
• Retirement
  • Decide on retirement date and last day in office
  • Decide on post-retirement benefits (do they even apply if I’m not in Canada?)
  • Double, triple and quadruple check my numbers to make sure the vacation days I have saved up will take me to the specific retirment date I need. I’ve already done this – two, three and four times – but if you know me, you know that numbers aren’t my friend.

Then there are the little things – figure out what to do with my mail (not that I receive much anymore), find the lowest priced plan for my Toronto phone number because I’m not ready to give it up, and other random thoughts that pop up, often during the night.

I like to pride myself on how well I’m handling all of this. No anxiety here! But … last week I emailed a woman that runs an apartment rental agency in France. I was asking about a specific apartment. She replied that it was too soon to book something. That’s the third time I’ve emailed her in the last year (yes, I started a year ago!) and the reply is always the same. Too soon. I emailed back to apologize – she’s been so patient with me.

I recognize my planning-in-overdrive mode for what it is – anxiety and the illusion that I have control. It’s so seductive. So, while I chip away at my list and try to avoid the apartment rental websites in France for a little while longer, I make every effort to notice and appreciate what I know I will miss once I move. Like the cozy outdoor spots in my neighbourhood, the perfect latte at one of my local cafes, and the impromptu connections with friends and neighbours.