Campaign is Launched!!

First of all, Happy 2014!!! I hope this finds everyone well and having had a lovely holiday season. Welcome also to all the new people following the blog (if you missed the one 2 postings ago with the wedding pictures, please go here: http://techchick-takingaleap.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to "The Story of Us". It's a bit of a long read, but (I think) worth it - there's also tons of pictures in that post. For those who are waiting for it, I have been in touch with the photographer - she said she has about 50 pictures left to edit, so I should have the lot sometime in the next 2 weeks!!! And now - drumroll - so many people have been asking about it, we are finally able to say that our indiegogo campaign has been launched!! We now have 60 days to raise $6000 so I can travel to Australia to live with my husband. If you are unclear as to why we are doing this, here's the Reader's Digest version...Paul came to the U.S. when his (now ex) wife wanted to move herehttp://www.indiegogo.com/projects/keep-love-together/x/5958552 in 2010 to be closer to her parents. They since separated and divorced, and a custody battle over their son ensued. She was granted full custody of Z, we think mainly because they were afraid Paul would take Z back to Australia and she'd never see him again (which sadly, is what Z actually wants). Between Paul not being able to get anything but minimum-wage jobs and his ex-wife fairly regularly bouncing between threatening to call the police and have him arrested for some trumped-up charge (yes, it has happened before) and then calling him sweetly trying to convince him to come back to her (she's apparently not happy in her current relationship), we made the decision to move our lives back to Paul's hometown of Adelaide, South Australia. The other reason is that the only place Paul could afford to live was renting a room from his ex-mother-in-law, and the situation was becoming increasingly toxic. I don't have anything to really tie me to the U.S. (yes, I love you my dear friends!), so it seemed like a good option - she can't legally enter Australia (apparently she has some legal issues she incurred before she left) and we would be left alone by Paul's ex-wife, and Paul has a job he loves that wants him back where he is not only professionally successful and paid well, but is really passionate and loving of the work itself (teaching swimming). In fact, Paul is one of the most highly sought-after swim instructors in the country. We've been getting a lot of questions about why I can't just go stay with him there while we get a visa, or even why I don't just automatically get a visa for being married to him. The truth is that Australia is a lot like the U.S. that way - even for married people from a "friendly" country, the hoops and red tape and cost are maddening. According to the Australian government, if I were to go to be with him under a tourist visa, they could consider that "entering the country under false pretenses" and have me deported and banned from re-entry for up to 5 years. The only way I can legally enter the country and stay is on a "partner" visa, which costs over $3,000 just to file. According to the Australian embassy, it should be at least 8-9 months before the approve my visa, and then I will have only 90 days to get myself there and appear before their government in Sydney. Before I leave, I will have to have a full medical exam, as well as FBI and background checks - all of which will cost another $1,000+. The flight to Australia will be approximately $2,000 - bringing us to the total that we are trying to raise of $6,000. We know it sounds like a lot of money (and it is), but it is our hope that if everyone who has been so supportive and loving of us through our journey of being separated for almost a year while I worked on the cruise ship, and would like to see us be together after having to have Paul leave when we were only married 10 days, will help us. We've had so many folks who wanted to be part of the wedding and couldn't - we hope you will step up and help us now. Think about it - if only 100 people donate $60 (or 200 at $30), that is everything we need. Please help us be together for our first anniversary on November 16, 2014 - we know it is a stretch, but we have faith that our loving community will help us get there. You can help by doing the following: 1) go to http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/keep-love-together/x/5958552 and make a donation. 2) Please send other people to the campaign and encourage them to make a donation. 3) Watch the video at http://youtu.be/80KtlCm5E4k and please share the video with everyone you know. Thanks a million in advance, and may you know love and joy throughout 2014. Love, Kat & Paul