We did it! We have officially moved out of our apartment and put 99.9% of our things in storage. We have approximately 75 boxes of stuff and packed the 10x9x9 storage unit to the gills. I'm also happy to report that Jake and I successfully consumed all of the wine we had in our wine fridge (much to the dismay of friends in SF who wanted me to leave our extra bottles with them).  We are excited and exhausted!
Last weekend was a big one- not only did we get about 5 hours of sleep each night because we were up late and rising early to pack the apartment, we also left our jobs on Friday!  We're homeless and jobless, and I don't think anyone has ever been as excited to be either of one of those as we are. We crashed at my brother and sister-in-law's apartment for a few nights, had a great going away party, and drove to the airport as the sun was lighting up the Golden Gate Bridge. We left San Francisco on Wednesday morning, and I looked out my airplane window until I could no longer see the beautiful city that I have called home for 6.5 years. It was truly a wonderful place to live.
We flew straight to Burbank to spend a great 24 hours with my family in San Marino. We started the day with force-cuddling my fat cat and lunch with Abby! I'm so glad that I got to see Abby one last time before heading out so I could hug her, see her tiny but growing baby bump, and talk her into meeting us in Rome in April. That night, Mom threw us a great Bon Voyage party with lots of family and her award winning chili. Jake and I are now on a plane to Gainesville, Florida, where we'll spend the next 5 days with the Wysocki's as we celebrate my brother-in-law's wedding.  After that...Paris!
This is last week was tough with little sleep, lots of heavy lifting, scrubbing and wiping and vacuuming, but saying goodbye to my loved ones was even tougher. Waving goodbye to Russ and Sarah as we drove away from their San Francisco apartment, in the city that he introduced me to. Putting my hands on Abby's pregnant tummy one more time. Watching Gubba ride his motorized wheelchair back up the street (like a bat out of hell, I might add), a new bandage on his head from a tumble earlier that evening. (He's ok. Thank you SM paramedics!) Hollering "See you soon!" to Richard as he walked out the front door after the party. Driving away from my Dad as he stood in the driveway. Hugging my mom at the airport before disappearing into the terminal. And all of the hugs, kisses, and phone calls from my other family members. Goodbyes are always hard. Goodbyes always make me cry. I have cried several times over the last 24 hours for a bunch of reasons. I'm sad because I'm going to miss them all. I'm going to miss being able to go home whenever I want and seeing them for celebrations. I'm excited because Jake and I are embarking on the trip of a lifetime. But most of all I'm grateful for all of the support and love that they have all shown us. We have all come a long, long way since Jake and I first announced that we were thinking of taking this trip and I am so grateful for all that we have learned, and where we are now. Knowing that my family is excited for this adventure, that they are supportive and understanding of why we want to do this, overwhelms me, and I express that in tears,  Lucky Jake! Thank you, everyone, for helping us get on our way!
Goodbyes are never easy. And there never seem to be enough hellos.  We'll do our best to stay in touch with everyone while we're away. We can't wait to share our adventure with you all.  And, thanks to technology, we'll probably "see" everyone more on this trip than we do now! While there will be physical distance between us, I think we will all be closer than ever.
We cannot wait to get on that first one-way flight!  See you soon, Paris!  Until then, au revoir!

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