preparing (in actuality) part 3

 Of course before leaving, visiting favorite spots is a must. Lake Champlain from Splash.

With Josh and Camryn. (Judging from my attire, I clearly think it is hotter than everyone else does. 🤣)

✅ Camper: found, purchased, and redesigned.

✅ House renovation: "donenough" (meaning, in a "perfect world" ... not as much done as I would like, but enough that Josh and Cam can move in and then finish up the rest as they want.)

Two big tasks left, packing and moving out of our bedroom.

How do you pack everything you need for six months (really 3 years since we are leaving the camper and flying home for the holidays each year) with varying conditions, say 10° to 100+°, sunshine to mists to downpours, beaches to mountains to deserts, cities to towns to campgrounds, sidewalks to trails to remote and rugged corners of our country, shoes, boots, pants, shorts, shirts, etc AND have it fit in a thimble? Ok, a shelf (well 1 bigger shelf and 1 little shelf, sometimes I over-exaggerate 🤷) but it seems like a thimble! Honestly!

And don't forget "the pharmaceutical needs", the kitchen, the pantry, the spices, the food, oh, and any projects you might want to work on while you're gone (projects with a small footprint, I took a class on quilling at the library and I'm going to try it out), books, camera, binoculars (duh, of course), you get the picture. 

You really have to be fairly ruthless about cutting items. This is not one of my stronger skill sets. 🙄 I'm a much better contingency packer. If this thing happens, I'll pack this to mitigate it (no matter how unlikely the precipitating event may be). I like to follow the scouting motto, "always be prepared". 🙋

We tried out a lot of storage options. Can t-shirts really take up less space if I fold them a different way or roll them or twist them in a knot? How many socks will I really need? If I only take 1 pair of sneakers, can I take one extra pair of sandals??? Or two … 🤔

Of course as we are doing this Russia is invading Ukraine, there are more mass murder events with guns, children are murdered in school and blacks and people of color continue to be mistreated and even killed by people in authority. Not to mention the hungry and homeless. Oh, my problems are such first world problems, but nevertheless, they are my first world problems and I try to assuage my guilt with my promise of a pledge of 1 - 2 years to the peace corps or some similar program when we've finished this part of our grand adventure.

By this point we had already missed the scheduled leave date and were now in the "delayed departure window". The only question was, how long was the delay going to be?

AND …

We still had to move everything out of our bedroom, to the much, much (much!) smaller guest room. Have I mentioned that the guest room is small? 😂😂 At this point clothes, shoes, etc (lots of etc) were stuffed into storage boxes as closets and bureaus were emptied. Meanwhile, the corresponding tower of these same storage boxes seemed to grow exponentially. All hope for coming home to an organized new space went out the proverbial window. It was all I could do to prevent it all going out the literal window, to the dump! But my calmer head or heart prevailed and I said we can't just throw it away, someone could use this! 

So … quick question, does anyone know of a tag sale that will need donations in December???😂

✅ Packed. (more or less … stuff just got thrown in the camper at the end 😱)

✅ Moved to guest bedroom. (more or less … stuff just got thrown in the room at the end 😱   

At least the "master bedroom" is ready for Ben and Grace to move into.)

I forgot to mention all the lovely farewell retirement tributes and get-togethers. Everyone was so kind and gracious and generous but as we keep saying, this isn't farewell … just see you later, alligator .

Then of course all the doctor, therapist and dentist appointments that you have to fit in just before you go to get the final approval/ok from everyone. And don't forget to transfer your prescriptions to a nationwide pharmacy so they can be filled along the way. 

 And finally, saying farewell to the pups and kitty. That was hard. 😢 But I know they will be so loved and happy at home with the boys, et al. Sniff, sniff.

Mom, if we lie on top of you you won't go anywhere, right?

Who's the saddest puppy … Zoey is 🥺

 (until someone picks up a frisbee. 🤣)

Cash is "playing dead" and hoping we'll feel too guilty to leave. 😟. But …he's a cat and sweet as he is, he'll probably hardly notice we're gone 😂😂

I think we're ready to go and only four days behind schedule. 🙂. (I always have been a glass half full kind of girl ;) )