The Q5 is built!

I got official notification from my dealer today that my vehicle is completed. He gave me a print out of the vehicle configuration, complete with VIN. Today, I emailed my information sheet, as instructed in my packet. A month from today, I will finalize the transaction, trade in the A4 (unless I get a buyer between now and then) and get my paperwork all put together to take to Germany.

In a nutshell, this is happening, boys and girls! I couldn't be more excited! All that's left to do now is wait. The only bit of unfinished business is to get my daughter's passport back from the State Department. We've been delayed twice now over stupid things that should have been caught by the processor when we applied. I think now, however, they have everything they need and we should have the document soon. Believe me, I could write a whole separate blog on the passport fiasco. The efficiency and competence (please note the sarcasm) of the federal government never cease to amaze me. No wonder we're $14 trillion in debt. But I digress.

Another item checked off the list in the last few days was obtaining an international driving permit. My research has told me that getting an international driving permit, while not a necessity, is helpful if there are any problems with the local police. Since police in Europe do not have ready access to the US driver databases, the international driving permit serves to bridge that gap. I hope I never need it, but I do. It was fairly easy and cheap to get and only took a week or so to get it.

I've made hotel reservations for most of the nights on our trip, but I've kept a couple of open nights to give us some flexibility at certain junctures of the trip. I'm trying not to put us on such a rigid schedule that it becomes more important than enjoying the trip. I don't want to be a slave to a schedule, but I do want to be sure I have places to stay locked down in certain towns, so we don't have to waste time trying to find a place to stay.

In the next couple of weeks, I want to test pack a suitcase to see how much it's going to weigh. The weight limit is 50 pounds per bag. If you exceed that, you get charged a hefty fee by the airlines. Carry-ons are not weighed, so I need to find the best balance of weight and volume.

So much to do, and the time is getting short. I'm hoping the rest of the preparations go smoothly. So far, everything on Audi's end has gone according to plan.