T Minus 2 weeks and counting…
It’s getting real.
After a recent trip to L.A. to visit family (happy 1st birthday
Max!), it’s great to be back in the Emerald city of Seattle. While
basking in the 70-degree sunshine and clear skies was desirable and
energizing, there is always a sense of relief in coming “home.” Well,
at least for the next 2 weeks until we officially resign our coats and gloves
and head back south to California for (hopefully) sunshine, flip-flops and
sunscreen. LOTS of sunscreen.
I am really thankful we made the L.A. trip before our grand
exit from Washington. It was not only great to have quality time
with people we love, but it allowed us a taste of what it’s like to use our
recently purchased travel gear. At this point, I’ve already packed
away all of my other clothing (screw you suits and button up shirts!) and am
just using my travel clothes on a day-to-day basis. That being said,
we also have the benefit of a washer & dryer, a familiar bed, etc. It
was helpful to force ourselves to pack up our backpacks and carry-on luggage
and see how it all actually functions. The good news is it
works! I suppose there’s something to be said about months of
research and a certain degree of fear of the unknown that drives preparation
and hopefully good decisions.
While I am certainly happy to be back in Seattle, there is
also a very real sense of urgency to complete all of our final tasks before we
head out. Things like selling our cars, buying international medical
insurance, getting our travel inoculations and putting all our worldly
belongings in storage. With each box we take from our tiny apartment
and put into storage, our trip becomes more real. We become less of
our old selves and continue to create the new and improved us.
Thankfully we’ve had about 9 months to go through the cycle
of these emotions, so it’s not new to feel this way, but it certainly is
becoming more significant. I’d like to think of it as a very
positive thing. To me, this is the catharsis of our stresses and
negative feelings and the beginning of something new. Shedding skin,
so to speak.
I’ve told many in the past few months that I’m looking
forward to going back to the “old me.” I see this as the first
tangible step. Once we remove the comfort of having a home-base, the
journey begins.
First stop, California. Next stop, the world!
