Still Here, Still Moving
Rabies paperwork, unexpected costs, and trusting the timing
We originally thought we’d be gone sometime in April, but we decided that April would actually be the best time to put our house on the market. That means we’ll be here a little longer than planned. In hindsight, that’s a good thing, because our original timeline was unrealistic anyway.
Taking Maya overseas turned out to be the most complicated part of this entire move, so we slowed down and made sure we fully understood the process before moving forward. From the time of her rabies blood draw, we have to wait 180 days before we can set foot on Japanese soil. If we arrive earlier than that, she would be quarantined for 180 days upon arrival, at our expense.
Why such strict rules? Japan has never had rabies, and they intend to keep it that way. This is how they do it. Yes, 180 days feels excessive. But when you look at it through their lens, it makes sense. And honestly, making the process complicated probably discourages people from moving there in the first place.
We found an official step-by-step PDF outlining everything required. Maya needed two rabies shots before blood work, both administered by an internationally certified veterinarian. She already had her microchip, but the blood work had to be sent to an internationally approved lab. Out of curiosity, we looked it up. There is only one approved lab in the entire United States. It’s in Kansas.
We then searched for internationally certified vets near us. There were five. The first four were a dead end. Either they weren’t accepting new clients or they hadn’t been certified in years. The fifth one, though, was the charm. Huge relief.
We scheduled an appointment to get her second rabies shot through that vet so we could move straight into blood work. From what we understood, everything could happen at once. Let’s knock it all out.
Except… no.
The rabies shot must be administered under her microchip number. Even though she had already been vaccinated before, the chip number wasn’t listed on the paperwork. It has to be on the same record. Together. No exceptions.
So we had to start over.
Then came the bill.
As we walked to the front desk, we figured it would cost maybe $350… $400… $500 at most. With the visit and the shot included, it came out to almost $800. That was with our military/veteran discount.
Turns out the lab work alone was almost $700 without the discount.
The receptionist casually asked, “Oh! Did you not want to do it?”
What? Were we supposed to say, “Yes, please put her blood back”?
No. We need to do this.It was definitely a surprise and a little painful, but it’s doable. It just would’ve been nice to know ahead of time.
Now we’re shifting into the next phase: getting the house ready for the market. We’ve been downsizing clothes, packing away decorations, books, and anything we won’t need for a while. The more bare the house becomes, the more real this move feels. And honestly? I’m excited.
On a personal note, I also started a podcast, which you can find under Shows and Socials. I signed up for a speaking competition that threw me off schedule for a bit. It involved a week of training and a recorded submission. I posted a trailer on my socials and was nominated into the top 200 out of over 4,000 applicants.
I didn’t make it into the finals, and I was completely okay with that. First place won $10,000, but my goal was never the money. I wanted to do something that scared me. And it did. I learned a lot, had fun, and gained free training along the way. No disappointment, only gratitude.
That’s where we are right now. We have a little over two months before the house goes on the market. We may or may not need to find a temporary place to live while Maya’s 180 days finish counting down.
That date is getting closer and closer.
More soon. 💛
– Cat
