Waiting to Move is Agony

The end of the school year is dragging along as slowly as the snails that come out onto the concrete during the rains. The girls aren't done until June 24th, 12 days from now. The movers come on the morning of the 23rd to start packing and I'll have so much organized that I'm sure they'll finish in a day, rather than the scheduled two days. We'll move into an old hotel apartment near the city during the packing.

It's been cloudy, cool and drizzly at times this week. And then yesterday the rains hit. It's been raining and windy for 24 hours straight with no telling when it will let up. I joked that our summer was the month of April, when the sun shined every day and I actually wore a pair of shorts. But there is some truth to that.

The weather is actually good to keep me inside and organize the packing. Even though we have a greatly reduced amount of stuff, it still needs to be sorted: things to give away, to sell, to go in the container, to fly to Portland and to go to Croatia. I do a little bit each day. I have spent a lot of time "pre-selling" our belongings that we can't take back. It's my own version of Craig's List. I guess I could call it "Mary Jo's List". Via emails, I've managed to sell off upwards of 50 or 60 items, including Craig's bike, a bed, hair dryer, lamps, christmas lights, vacuum cleaner, shelves, iron, clocks, wine glasses, even extension cords. I have things in piles per owner with tags and amounts and next week will begin distributing them, based on our need. We'll keep things like the toaster and the TVs until the last couple of days.

Maya and Molly have little homework and are beginning to see their friends leaving for the year. All the talk is about who's leaving, where people are going for the summer, when movers arrive, and things like that. I'm setting up sleepovers for the girls this weekend so they can be with friends who they won't see again.

I am so ready to leave, mentally. There is little left that I absolutely need to see or visit. I've been to 20 museums and ridden all over the place. I've visited beaches, castles, restaurants. I've bought everything that I care to bring back. Since I knew I was leaving, I didn't volunteer for committees at school or pick up more yoga teaching jobs or other activities that would give me roots here. I've had a disconnected feeling since the beginning of March. Now it's just a matter of going through the motions and moving on to the next step. Naturally, when you want something to happen and fixate on it, it seems to take forever.

There are annoyances creeping up around us: things are breaking or not functioning well in the house, my bike was pilfered with (yes, I used the word "pilfer") by a person trying to steal bike parts, and has been in the bike shop for most of the week, the garden is out of control with weeds, the weather is much like Portland rain in the winter. Get me out of here!

One consolation has been a connection with other moms, who are having experiences just like me. It's nice to hang out over coffee or on a bike ride and vent or enjoy the Danish experience together, as an outsider. I'm grateful for these few dear friends. I look forward to getting their emails in the future, and I'll be able to know exactly what they're going through. Perhaps I would meet up with them at some exotic location in the future. Who knows...

I had no idea I'd write so much. I've been blogging a lot lately. I guess I feel I have so much to say before we leave. I will miss this house because it's been such a sanctuary in our experience here. It's been cozy and welcoming and provided just what we needed. But we move on, and practice impermanance. Belongings don't mean as much as the expereince. It's about the journey, not the vehicle.

Love and Light,
Mary Jo
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