The Hunts Head West – Part 1
Time to dust off the blog and bring it back to life! So much has happened since I last wrote but rather than try to re-cap everything, I’ll jump right in at the start of our most recent new chapter.
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What a whirlwind the last two months have been! Andrew flew out to interview with Oregon State University, a few days later they offered him the position and a little more than a month later, we waved good-bye to NC and started the journey cross-country!
After selling off most of our ‘big stuff,’ we loaded the remainders into a moving truck and said good-bye to our home in Brunswick County. Despite getting rid of so many things, we still had SOOO….MUCH….STUFF. It seemed to multiply everytime I turned around – ridiculous! Fortunately, Andrew’s parents bravely (or stupidly, depending on how you look at it :)Â ) offered to help us, and we could never have done it without them.
These pictures make me tired all over again.
Packing an entire household is a lot like running a marathon – it’s an extreme test of endurance that feels endless and all you want at the end of it is soda and junk food.
After packing, we had to then clean the house which is always awesome but even more so after dirty shoes have trudged in and out a bajillion times and anxious dogs have shed several hundred layers of fur in the span of 72 hours. I may be exaggerating. But probably not.
Honestly, our very last days in the fair county of Brunswick are a blur of packing/cleaning/preparing to travel cross-country. Andrew and I barely slept and, in case any of you were unsure, sleep deprivation always makes you more organized, calm and clear-thinking. Or something like that.
The dogs were total champs during this crazy time. Sawyer and Wally definitely knew what was up – Sawyer was in full-on pout mode and Wally was my constant shadow. (In all fairness, this is not that different from their normal personalities but I could tell that they just knew). The girls thought it was mostly a big game, as in ‘Hey, what’s this pile of stuff in the living room? Maybe we should chew some of it up?” That was mostly Ella’s line of reasoning but I’m pretty sure Sasha & Annie assisted her in the destruction of several small items.
At the time, I couldn’t really process the fact that we were moving far, far away from our family and friends. I think I was afraid that if I did take the time to let that fact truly register, I would just simply break down. Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely excited at the prospect of a new adventure but I can also be terribly opposed to change, especially when it involves saying good-bye to people I love coupled with the knowledge that I am causing them sadness. Saying goodbye to family, to close friends, to a job that I loved – that is no small task.
The unfortunate thing about not fully processing emotions when they first occur is that they always turn up later, all the more fierce for having been ignored – like when you’re all the way across the country and totally on your own.
So, now that I’m no longer a sleep-deprived cross-country move zombie, a few words:
To our family (Mom, Dad, Michel, David, Nicole, Robbie, Blaize & Grandpa Jim): I am so grateful that we lived in North Carolina these last two years, giving us the chance to spend more time together and create wonderful memories – Thanksgiving on the lake, RunDisney, squeezing everyone into our living room last Christmas, Kiawah, Provisions, oh so many things. I love you, I miss you & I’m grateful for your unending support. Andrew and I are so blessed to have such a loving family. But hey! We will at least get to see more of that crazy sister in L.A. now (right, Sydney?)
To our friends: We’re so glad to have known you! We are so grateful for your fellowship in Christ and the many fun times we shared together. We miss you all very much and wish we could teleport you over to our house every Tuesday at 6:30.
To the amazing animal rescue community of Brunswick County: What a crazy bunch of people you are! But wow am I glad to have known you. Working at the shelter changed my life and introduced me to so many beautiful people. I miss my ‘work family’ and ‘volunteer family.’ I do not miss driving the Tahoe or my freezing cold office.
That’s all for now, folks but check back in tomorrow to hear all about our incredibly well-laid out & organized drive across the country with five dogs. I swear there is only a slight touch of sarcasm in that previous sentence.
