Tik Aliyah

Yesterday, we opened our "tik aliyah". For those who don't know, this is an aliyah file. It basically means you gather together all of your important documents from your entire life (birth certificates, marriage certificate, passports etc.) and bring them to your shaliach. He then interviews you and passes on the information (to whom, I'm not sure). This is something you MUST do in order to make aliyah. You also must have a file number in order to apply to Nefesh B'Nefesh.
The highlight of this whole process for me was going out to eat in a nice restaurant, without the kids, afterwards. I guess that makes me a pretty shallow person, but the meeting WAS anti-climactic. After all that information-gathering, I could at leave have gotten a sticker or something saying "I'm making Aliyah!" Kids get stickers for doing much less.