The answer is no.

I think I last blogged right before we left to visit my sister and nieces in DC.

Let’s go back a little. After signing the lease agreement 3 hours before we boarded the plane before DC and fielding nonstop emails from my favorite cynic Cliff, it was nice to know that the psychic was right and we had the house rented. It was difficult to enjoy this “reprieve” since Cliff kept nagging me via email as to whether or not the tenant’s check had cleared yet. Being someone who truly believes in the power of positive thinking it was extremely frustrating wanting to feel relieved and happy that a wonderful tenant had rescued us and dealing with someone who was constantly reminding me that “it isn’t over til the check clears…” Sometimes I think you just have to hope and have faith that shit is going to go your way just once. That all being said, checks cleared and contracts were signed and alcohol was imbibed and Cliff finally called the movers off.

I have to say I was so happy to come home and not see that sale sign in the yard. Psychologically, living with a sign in your yard like that takes a toll on a person.

Since then I have been in DefCon 4 depersonalizing, packing, and shifting our things around.

It is very hard for me to believe I am getting on a plane for Japan TUESDAY!  WTH?! Where did the time go? Since I am having to coordinate and facilitate all of Chase’s “last get togethers” with his friends, I have to admit I am too exhausted to pull together my own playdate. I have been able to touch base with very close friends and say half-hearted good-byes. Those of you who know me, know I hate good-byes. I prefer to just leave town and pop up a few months later and say hello again.

Last weekend, we were at my parents’ home in SC. It was really so wonderful to just spend these last days together. I was able to keep it together until it was time to leave. Out of the blue, my mother got incredibly insistent that she send us off with food and at first it just seemed like a lot of trouble for her and for me and I just didn’t want to have anything to do with it, but then it just hit me that she needed to do this for us, for me. So I backed off and let her pack me some Korean barbeque and pickles. As I watched her coordinating all this stuff, it suddenly hit me that this was her “Love Language” and the only thing I should do was hug her and whisper into her ear that I was so grateful for everything. After that, I couldn’t stop crying and she started crying and my dad was shaking from trying not to cry and then Chase made us do a group hug.

Everytime I mention our impending relocation, inevitably the first thing people say is “Oh! How exciting!” or “Are you excited?” or “Are you ready?”

My answer, “I guess…”

Henry David Thoreau –
- Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we
have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize the infinite
extent of our relations.