Almost time to leave this place-for now. 
The knot in my stomach has many causes. It seems we’ve hardly been here. It seems we’ve been here forever. There is much to do when we return home. Can we manage it all? Leaving friends & the place we’ve lived & worked for so long hangs heavy in the air. Have we done the right thing? What is it that draws us here?
We have made friends here already, people we’ll be glad to see again. We have found a lovely, quiet place to live. We have a sense of what to do once we arrive. It’s the work to get here that daunts us. 1st-go through the (Hillsborough) house again to figure out what else we can do without. At some point Storm-White Movers will send a contracted mover to the house to pack everything up to fit in 7x7x4′ crates-hopefully no more than 2. Once the truck arrives in Ajijic our crates will be stored for up to a month until we’re ready for delivery. That means packing suitcases with a minimum # of sheets, blankets, towels, toiletries & kitchen utensils to get us through until we can get out to a store. (We’ve decided-at this point-not to drive a truck across country but will probably fly.) We will have no car initially so will rely on public transportation, Uber (weekdays) & taxis.
After Labor Day we’ll hit the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh for our visas, a complicated process that we’ve yet to clarify. Late September is Ben’s birthday & retirement so we’ll celebrate with friends. Off to Charlotte for our “Global Entry” interviews to shorten the process of flight check in/out. Then the mad rush to separate out everything we want to take with us in preparation for our October estate sale. (Now there’s a bag of mixed feelings!). We’ll “camp out” in the house for a few weeks after that while we tie up loose ends & say good-bye to friends & family. Then off we go to Guadalajara & a taxi to La Casa Morado, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.
Why? Because we are ready for dramatic change in our lives. Because it is less expensive here. Because of the temperate climate. Because it is colorful & exotic & interesting. Because it is a new culture with lots to learn. To learn to do with less & to slow…down…A few months ago my son asked me how he was to explain to his children that their grandmother lives in Mexico. I’ll borrow a phrase from a former coworker who thanked her mother for showing her how to “live curiously“. That’s what I want-to push past my fears, to step outside my comfort zone, my box-& live with curiosity & courage.
(The adult in the picture above corralled these children when he saw me taking the first picture so they could be photographed too. Afterward children & mothers gathered round to see the outcome with giggles & smiles. It made my day! Another reason to be here.).
TIME TO GO! I’LL KEEP YOU POSTED!
You’ll be surprised at how little you can get by with. Pack light, then see what you REALLY need. You’re having a wonderful apportunity to live closer to the bone as you explore your new life. All will be well, I’m sure – if you remember to breathe in….breathe out ….breathe in….breathe out. S l o w l y.
What an exciting new life lies in front of you!! ✈️🚙🥑🍉🌞🌺Love you and trust that you are making good decisions!!
It sounds like you’re ready for an adventure. Are you selling your house? Try to enjoy the moving process.
Not selling, Teresa. Renting, just in case…..Thanks for reading my blog & commenting!
My thoughts are with you…. melancholy time……. go with your thoughts, desires, and wishes…. and know that nothing has to be permanent- one day at a time.
Well the big decision is made. Reading your blog inspires me, not that I am moving, but admire you for doing it and know it will all end up fine. Change is good, curiosity is great, you are both adaptable. A new life! hugs.