Behind the Scenes
It's a bit of a stressful circus
Everyone wants to hear about our grand plans as we get ready to head out, but the truth is: We have our first flight booked and nothing else. Ha! Actually, that’s not entirely true. We have accommodations in Barcelona, only we’re likely not going to go to Barcelona anymore (who really knows), and we have accommodations in Madeira (though we might change our minds about that, too). So, our initial plan has some big holes in it.
I’d like to say I’m going to get right on top of those details, but it turns out preparing to leave on such an extended trip requires a lot of work behind the scenes just to be able to go. I’m over here booking final medical appointments, hair appointments, and car service (and I need to go to AAA for a duplicate title); researching and getting travel vaccines; having house repairs done; and ordering (and returning) stuff we think we might take with us. Plus wrapping up my job, searching for a home for Squeakers (still), and coordinating a trip before the trip. (I’ll share more about that next week.)
It’s all a bit looney.
The girls and I have been cleaning out closets, and I went through the pantry and kitchen cabinets. The girls were off school on Monday and came in while I was on work calls to dump donations on the bed and floor. Apparently, me trying to motion them out of the room while making the “I’m on the phone” signal did not register. (I guess Teams calls aren’t “the phone,” but close enough.) Goodness—they really couldn’t have waited?
We have Halloween costumes to procure, family to see, going away gatherings to coordinate, and services to cancel or transfer (like cell phones, cable, and utilities). Some is clearly fun, but lots is, well, drudgery. And since I dread the latter, you can probably guess what I’ve been kicking the can down the road on and will probably be spending my final days taking care of before we go. Sigh.
I’m just glad there’s a big Clean-up day coming where you can put out all sorts of garbage beyond your normal amount for no extra charge. (Don’t worry, there’s also a corresponding Re-use day, where you can put out stuff for donation or for others to take, and I’ve already been giving stuff away.) It’s as if the waste company knew we needed this. I’ll take the wins where I can get them.
On a different note, I acknowledge that given what’s happening in Israel and Palestine right now, what we’re about to embark on feels perhaps irrelevant and selfish. I want to keep documenting the lead-up to our journey to have for posterity, but trying to balance these very different realities is tricky. Life is often comprised of multiple things being true at the same time and as humans we are challenged to hold dualities and navigate complexity. This is one of those times, so I’m going to anchor in gratitude for the privilege we have to even be embarking on such a journey. Yes, we’ve worked to be able to do this, but we’ve also had lots of wind at our back that makes it possible. I hope to find ways to pay that forward.