Road Trip (part 1)

The honeymoon is officially over. :)

I tend to romanticize memories and events in my life, and this move back to DC is no exception. When I thought about moving back east, I mostly imagined walking around the city, enjoying amazing food at my favorite restaurants, going to art exhibits, attending concerts, shopping in Clarendon and Georgetown, and working on the Hill.

I forgot about the actual move.

I think moving is a lot like childbirth. Every mom I’ve talked to says that having a baby is completely worth the hours/days/months of pain, agony and stress, and that once the baby comes, everything you had to go through to get to that point pales in comparison to the joy you experience.

Here’s hoping.

Since we left Clovis, we have driven 2,292 miles – 40+ hours in a 26 foot long Penske truck with no shocks towing a Highlander (p.s. Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico: you should think about repairing your roads every few decades). We stopped in Flagstaff, Arizona on Sunday night, Albuquerque, New Mexico on Monday, Shawnee, Oklahoma on Tuesday, and tonight we're in a Motel-6-esque Hampton Inn in Lebanon, Tennessee, about 45 minutes east of Nashville.

This was my view for the first day or so while I drove my Jetta...




Then Robbie came down with a cold, so we quarantined him to the car and I've been riding in the truck with Brian since then.

Here's some of the beautiful scenery near the border of Arizona and New Mexico...



Brian driving the truck...


Crossing the border into Texas!


And Oklahoma!
Checotah, Oklahoma is very proud of their hometown girl... there were about 3 different signs along the interstate to make sure everyone knows where Carrie Underwood is from!


Driving through thunderstorms in Oklahoma and Arkansas...




And over the Mississippi River into Tennessee!


So that's our progress so far! The end is in sight, and I can't wait to get there. I have a funny story to share about a discovery I made in one of the many truck stops we've visited, but I'll save that for another blog.

Letting Go

I have never cried harder than I did on Thursday night.

Last week was probably one of the worst, most stressful, most difficult weeks of my life. I also only got a total of about 20 hours of sleep, which didn’t help when dealing with the overwhelming stress and exhaustion of packing up our entire house. Not to mention family issues, relationship problems, and the helpless frustration that I didn’t have enough time to say goodbye to everyone I wanted to.

All week, I numbed myself and did my best to keep from feeling anything so that I could function well enough to get through the packing. I became such a zombie that I was afraid I would never be able to cry again after burying so much pain and sadness.

Thankfully, I was wrong. Thursday night around midnight, once everyone had gone and I finally let down my guard, everything I had been trying so hard not to feel swept over me like a massive tidal wave. Looking around at our empty apartment, wishing I had more time with the people I love, knowing that moving is the best thing for us right now and long-term, but wishing it wasn’t. I think I sobbed for almost 4 hours straight. I survived the week, but barely.

We left last Friday night and spent the day in Disneyland on Saturday. What a wonderful way to say “goodbye” to California. It was a perfect day – 75 degrees and sunny. Brian, Robbie, Kathryn and I spent the day walking around California Adventure, riding the rollercoaster and Soarin’ Over California, watching the show at the Frontier Land Saloon, and exploring the newly reopened Tom Sawyer Island/ "Pirate's Lair". We had so much fun!!

On the tram

Brian and his brother Scott

C!

Robbie and Kathryn at California Adventure

Our favorite roller coaster!

Waiting in line

Take 2

Watching our favorite show at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon

Exploring Tom Sawyer Island (now the "Pirate's Lair")

The tree house

I told them to "go stand under the sign"... :)

Trapped by pirates!

In the tree house

On Sunday morning, we said our final goodbyes to my mom and sis and headed out of LA. As I drove my car alone through the desert (Brian and Rob rode in the truck), I felt so sad.

I sobbed quietly, asking God for answers, guidance, provision and peace. He reminded me that he provides “streams in the desert.” I had never felt such a clash of emotions – grief, fear, anticipation, apprehension, relief, excitement, sorrow, joy… peace.

Then I cried again as I passed a sign that said “Now Leaving California.”

It's official!

We're moving back to DC! It's been in the works for a while, but we've actually set a date (May 24th), put in our 30-day notice at our current place, and leased an apartment in Ballston that will be ready for us on June 1st.

I'm so happy. And really sad.

You'd think this would get easier, since we seem to move at least twice a year. But it doesn't. Moving back (like moving here was) is bittersweet. I left my heart there when we came back to California, and part of my heart will always be here. I think I'm destined to be bi-coastal forever.

Brian and I spent the weekend doing a full inventory of all the crap we've accumulated over the years. There's a lot of crap. And a lot of non-crap. It's the latter that I'm dreading having to pack.

I really am excited, though. I will miss so many things about California, but as time has gone on I've come to value different things, and I've realized how important some things are that I never even paid attention to before. Like a healthy professional culture, a broader perspective on the world, job opportunities, and grad schools that are actually ranked (and have names that people recognize).

Most of the things I will miss, though, aren't things at all. They're people. Especially my family, I will miss them so much. I will miss the impromptu therapy sessions with mom, the fun afternoons hanging out with my little sis (who gets less little every day), and dad's bar-b-que on the weekends.


I will miss all the amazing people I have connected and reconnected with this past year, some of whom I have known for years, others I have only met recently and wish I had more time with, but all of whom I know will stay in my heart and life for many years to come. Thankfully, the world keeps getting smaller and smaller, and through the ever-improving wonders of technology, most of those who mean the most to me are just a mouse click or phone call (or plane ride) away.

So that's the plan. We're moving. In 2 1/2 weeks. Brian graduates with his Master's on Friday, and we'll be spending the next 2 1/2 weeks packing and spending time with loved ones. Then it will be on the road again for Brian, Robbie and me.

The countdown begins...

The End of an Era

I lived on Capitol Hill for just 4 months almost 3 years ago, but my heart has remained long after I left. Some of my fondest memories of my first days living in my favorite city are there, and to this day one of my favorite places in DC is Eastern Market. So many defining moments in my life were spent in the coffee shops and flea markets there, talking over big ideas with great friends. I still hope to find a place to live in that neighborhood someday.

You can imagine my heartbreak, then, when I learned that the market's South Hall burned down early Monday morning. It hit me in the pit of my stomach. I feel like an old friend has died, and even though I know that it will be rebuilt, I know it can never hope to have the same charm as the 134-year-old building bustling with activity every Saturday morning. I wish I could be there right now.

Eastern Market South Hall exterior

Produce
Some of the neighborhood rowhouses
South Hall interior
The Market Lunch breakfast - best pancakes you'll ever have
Street musicians
Outdoor market - art, antiques, etc.

Do-nothing Democrats?

Americans seem to think so. So much for calling out Republicans for not getting anything done.