I am starting to freak out.
Misako and I worked our jobs as long as we could before it was time to pack up. We left ourselves a week to pack. This move is nothing like previous ones. We have to do it all at once. Previously, I could go back and forth and randomly pile stuff in my car. Not this time. Everything has to be boxed. Well packed. It is at least 8 hours to Alpharetta.
My brother Joe will drive the truck, towing Misako's car. We will drive in my car with our cat, Jezebel. We have to get to Alpharetta by 5pm on Sunday so we can sign our lease. Driving past/through Atlanta is the worst part.
I have a bad habit of procrastination. I use the excuse that I work better under pressure. Partly true. I also didn't want to deal with the emotions that are churning in me now. Easier to focus on where I am going, and what I have to do. After our party last week, I cried. I now truly understand what Misako was dealing with when she moved here. When I lived in Nagano, I always knew it was temporary.
To put it in perspective, I am 38. I moved to Florida when I was 18 (Jacksonville). 4 years later I moved here. I made the most of my life in Florida. I will leave many friends. I hope we never completely lose contact. They all helped me be the person I am today.
Enough weepy stuff. I have no fear about the future. I am more excited than I have been since Misako moved here. It was always my plan to leave Florida someday. I think we did enough research and got our priorities in order as to what we wanted. For the first time ever, I can imagine owning a house.
As an aside, I feel sorry for the people who feel trapped where they are. I know many teachers who want so much to make more money elsewhere, but feel like they have too much to lose. I would rather gamble and come up short, than to live the rest of my days wondering what might have happened. Who knows-I may always be a gypsy. Misako is hanging in there with me. Her trust in my choices makes me work harder. I also realize that I probably would not have had the courage to move without her by my side.
