Moving Day!

Today was the day we have been waiting for now for months.  Moving Day!  All this preparation, purging, packing, purging more and packing some more has now been for a goal that we can actually see.  It's exciting and sad to see our things go.  Exciting because we've been waiting so long for this point and quite honestly I'm sick of packing and purging and would like this part of the process to be done.  Sad, because it means that our time here is short and that we will be moving along to Spain in just a matter of weeks.  Josh actually leaves in just under 2 weeks now with the rest of us following around the 4th of January - about 6 weeks from now.  The movers were a little late in getting here but nice guys.  They only broke one thing and were very apologetic about it - oh well... at least it was just a frame and I ran out to Target and bought a new one.  Let's just chalk it up to one more thing to do before we leave.  I was thankful that most of the goods were in the garage though - the big guy had really really bad BO.  I feel bad for the other two that had to ride to and from with him to Acton! 

As I mentioned in my last post, the last few weeks have been extremely emotional.  I can say that I was depressed - no doubt about it.  I'm feeling a lot better now and am coming to terms with everything but the two weeks after we got back from our Discovery Trip, I really didn't want to talk to anyone, felt angry at the world, and cried - a lot.  Seeing our backyard and thinking that the kids wouldn't have one in Spain brought me to tears several times, packing away my kids clothes to ship, packing up half my clothes to stay and half to go - just the reality of it all set in.  The last several months have been about purging out the junk, making donations, etc.  This was the time to actually pack it all up.  It's amazing that we were able to take all of our personal possessions that we will need for the next 2 years and put it on one side of our garage - and that includes the furniture we got from IKEA too.  Some is in our basement - a lot was donated.  When we leave in a few weeks, Jonathan will have furniture, electronics and small appliances here and that will be about it.  It is all moving along.  Finally...

Friends of mine said that packing up our goods was going to be hard emotionally and it was.  They said having the movers pack it up (correctly) and take it away would be harder.  Perhaps that will settle in later because I actually almost felt some relief.  Now maybe, at least temporarily, my life, our lives, can go back to normal.  I don't remember the last time I had a full, focused work day.  I'd love to have one of those again.  To any of my clients that read this - I'm sorry I've been out of it for the last few months.  Hopefully we are nearing the light at the end of the tunnel here.  I'm determined to get our lives back to normal as quick as possible over there but yet other friends are saying to me that that is when the hard work begins.... so what you are telling me is that this gut wrenching process that was the move is not the hard work?  That it's only just beginning?  I think that is where the depression was coming in the last 2 weeks - I think deep down I knew this was the easy part.  The move - packing it all away to arrive in Spain... that part is the easy part.  Our goods are scheduled to arrive in Barcelona on Dec 17.  Josh leaves to come back on Dec 22, so the odds of the container getting to Josh before he leaves for the US is slim to none, I'm thinking.  So when we arrive in Spain in early January, we will still have to arrange to have the movers come to our apartment and will need to move in.  Josh is bringing VERY little with him in a few weeks - clothes, a set of sheets and I think that's about it.  Amazing how little guys can live on!!!  We may have to have a slumber party with the kids since I just realized I sent all the sheets with the movers - ooops!!!  My hope is it will just be for one night and we'll arrange in advance for the movers to come the day after we arrive ... that's my hope.  Reality may be a totally different thing.

                                           BEFORE                             AFTER (can't wait to see the kids' reaction)

Next will come the adjustment to a new culture, new people, new home, new school, new surroundings, and most of all, new language.  I've been a slacker on my Spanish the last few weeks - now that the moving part is done, I need to pick back up on that too.  I'm determined to do more than just get by as I hear so many people tell me they can do over there.  I don't want to just get by.  But I'm also terrified of being "alone" in a sense and not being able to communicate well over there.  I suppose time heals all things and that will hopefully be one of them! 

As the movers take away our belongings, I look at my now empty garage and think of the next stage of our lives ahead of us.  I feel like I'm in a good place right now and am looking forward to the adventure, though with absolutely apprehensive feelings.  But I'm good.  And together, as a family, we'll make this work. 

Julie