COUNTDOWN

I cannot believe that our departure date is nearly upon us. Jon's initial 72 hours have been filled with a foreign language, meeting patients, unexpected cold temps, washing clothes in a bidet, hanging clothes on a drying rack, experiencing Rome traffic, skype, magic jack, grandor, FOOD, and the anticipation of "living life in a foreign language". 

I have to be honest. The past few weeks have not been easy, and the preparation of moving abroad long term has not come without a lot of prayer, hard work, sleepless nights, lots of take-out (I must feed the children), dear friends, and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! Amidst the tasks at hand, the juggling, and overwhelming meltdown moments, there is a sense of calm in the storm.

Sorry for the breviary of this post, but I must complete my inventory list for the International movers, prepare to transport items to storage, invade my Mama's house with "more" boxes, vet, dentist, hair, and accounting appointments, and a lot of good-byes! I will blog once we are "living our foreign language" and will miss you all!!!

Packing "101" or "911"

Most of us have experienced moving at least once in our lives, and having a few to my credit, I consider myself somewhat organized and capable of handling all essential tasks. Stuffing a suitcase to its maximum potential while using brute force if necessary, bestows to me a "pat on the back" for a job well done. I have to tell ya, preparing for our annual trek north to the Jersey Shore could be a playbook for Packing "101". You see, if approached in a conclusive and methodical manner, packing doesn't become laborous or inflict duress upon us. It is merely the commencement of a well deserved vacation, a fresh start, a new beginning, or for some unfortunate souls, a mandated penance.

Approaching our move to Italy with all of the details involved has unleashed a side of me that, well if I were to be 100% honest, is NOT in "my" playbook! I know several of you who may be reading this blog that have taken a leap of faith and moved internationally, and lived to tell about it.....how in the world do I decide what to take, what to consign, what to store (my poor Mama), do you get the picture? Our pre-move survey is rapidly approaching and my decision of personal belongings, or beloved treasures,  "making the cut" is perpetually looming.

While attempting to sort various items one afternoon, Jon and the children strolled into the garage and casually asked if they could assist me. "Sure", I replied, this could be a family event with take out in my future, since "breaking" is not an option. BIG mistake.....I quickly discovered that MY FAMILY cannot discard anything. A stained, floppy ballcap from undergraduate school does not "make the cut", nor does an outdated Randall Cunningham Eagles Jersey. With everyone's best interests at heart, my decisions continue to vacillate...I am at an impasse...a "911" packing emergency...