Milton Berle
We are back to the grind after our week-long trip to Portland. I headed out there without much optimism, I now realize. As I wrote in my last post, the what ifs were deafening at times and I wondered what we'd do if it was time to go home and we hadn't settled anything. There is a lot of change happening. Good change, but scary. Is change, especially big, rapid-fire change, ever not a little scary?
First and foremost was Kiddo's school. Everything depended on that. After visiting a charter school, then the smallest public school in the area, nothing had ignited a spark. The third school was big and we didn't hold out much hope that we'd love it, but we knew almost the minute we stepped foot inside that it was The One. It just was. We sat in the car and buzzed for a few moments after leaving and, because we were so sure it was The One, decided to look for homes in the area. The first that popped up was just over a mile away so we headed to check it out. Upon pulling onto the street, we knew it was also The One. The neighborhood, the proximity to the school...all of it. So on a rather unassuming Thursday morning, as our fact-finding mission was nearing its close, we began laying roots. Just like that.
So here we are, about two months out from The Move, and the big things seem to be settled. The deposit has been sent, the moving truck has been reserved and the school registration paperwork has been submitted. We have a curb to pull up to with the moving truck and a roof under which to lay our heads. And can I just say how cute I find this house? I want to pinch its cheeks. Were weren't able to do a walk-through before we left, so we've had to rely on photos and what we could see from the outside. It was a leap of faith, which can be challenging and calls for a lot of discussion, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut rather than risk losing something that feels very, well, right. Fortunately, we have great friends in the area that can give it the once-over for us in the coming weeks.
This trip also served to solidify our sureness about moving to this particular neck of the woods. We love the area. I missed being a part of the hustle and bustle of a city! Mario won't have to drive hours away to reach an airport when he travels. But the best part is that our new abode is tucked away in the cozy suburbs, which will allow us to hold on to some of the quiet stillness that comes with living outside city limits. Win-win.
We saw a hesitant kiddo fly out with us and an eager, excited one come home. As the week progressed his mood changed considerably. We knew he'd warm up to the idea of moving once he saw the area, but I carried a considerable burden when it came to his feelings about the move. I didn't want to just take him along for the ride, I wanted him to want to be there. His happiness was definitely on the list of what ifs (What if he hates it here?!). And while I'm sure there will be bumps along the way, I feel more at peace where he is concerned.
Mario had to work the first two days of our trip, so Jared and I headed up to Seattle for a little side excursion. I wanted him to feel like his spring break was still a break, and we both needed a moment to take a breath. To enjoy the area without the pressure that comes with having just one week to sort out a life-changing relocation. I took lots of photos of the area, and will do posts on some of our favorite places, but in the meantime here's a few of the more candid moments.
// The
EMP museum is hands-down one of the most interesting places I've ever been. The building itself is bonkers. // I love this graffiti wall in downtown Seattle. This was Kiddo's first visit and it was the first thing that really caught his eye. // The Swami fortune telling machine is a favorite. I can't walk by without getting my fortune. I'm always tempted to say "I wish I were...big". // The umbrella and map shops are my favorite. // The EMP museum has the original costume David Bowie wore in the movie
Labyrinth. My favorite movie, of course. I geeked out big time. // Kiddo and I love the sign and overall vibe of this restaurant. The lion made us think of our mini lion at home. // Random chalk robot. // The donuts at Pike Place Market are divine. // A cool, unstaged iPhone shot of Kiddo under the space needle. I probably couldn't replicate it if I tried. // The view from our hotel room. //
// On our last morning, as we drove to the airport, Portland greeted us with the most beautiful sunrise. I felt like a Welcome Home. // Our friends took us up to "Pill Hill" where the University of Oregon medical center and schools are located. OHSU has been my first choice PA program since deciding many years ago to pursue my undergrad and professional degrees. Being there, seeing it in person, renewed my spirit. Let's get this done. // Our friend Lucy. I'm endlessly entertained by her. And her photo-shy brother. // Powell's Books. This place will definitely come up again because it's just that amazing. //
I really dislike flying. I don't have any of the typical phobias, just a general dislike of the whole process. I get bored and restless and occasionally feel trapped. If given the choice, a road trip would win every time. But I have a husband who gives me his first class upgrades every time we travel together which is just one of the gazillion things about him that proves he's the best kind of husband there is. On our way home I started and finished a book; spent even more time thinking about all the squares that make up our landscape (who drew them so perfectly?); and was awed by the mountain peaks among the clouds.
Now that we are home, but have a definite moving date, we are in an odd in-between phase. It's a bit too early to start packing everything up. So we live our lives and let time pass. While away, we reduced the price of our current home significantly in order to stir up some interest in the stagnant real estate market we find ourselves in. Well, it worked. We have already had one showing and two more are scheduled for this week. It's good, as we are in a time crunch and want to sell, but as anyone who's sold a home can attest (especially with a Kiddo and pets), it's a weird way to live. Your house doesn't feel like your own. It still belongs to you, but you no longer want it and it's dressed for someone else. You can't curl up on the couch with a coffee table covered in magazines and Legos anymore. Because the phone could ring at any moment. There will be lots of meals eaten out since people like to look on Saturday mornings and during dinnertime. Fingers (and toes) crossed one of them sees themselves in it and takes it off our hands.
