And There We Go - moving west and other stories

As the pilot tipped a wing so that the Golden Gate Bridge was in full glorious view, these were the words I read - You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you. - Frederick Buechner. At that moment, two and a half years ago, those words were wrenchingly comforting.

The Oceanic Bridge has become our 'gate' these past few years and I will miss not driving over it almost every day. Even when it was colder than a 'you know what', seeing the water always calmed me down. But it's time again, to be the one to go. To leave friends on their porches and buddies at the park. Would that we could slink away quietly in the night, bypassing the inevitable tears. Our time here in NJ has been more than counting days. We dove into a new life, full stop, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye. From the decadence of cabana life to the hilarity of shoveling snow (house rule #1: you may only  laugh about the weather, there is no complaining). We've had a blast here and would not have traded this experience for anything! My kids have grown more than just a shoe size or two, and I have learned that I'll never be too old to make new friends.

So off we go, Mid-Westward Ho and soon this will be our new 'gate'. The boys and I got to play tourist in Chicago last week and had so much fun! We took the train into the city a couple of times, went to a bunch of amazing museums, hung out with some of our favorite people, ate the best sushi I've had in 3 years, got an offer on our NJ house (yahoo), and most importantly, spent time as a family. If not for the fact that our Chicago house still hasn't closed escrow and we're just about homeless, it would've been perfect - but ce la vie - it is what it is!

xoxo,
P