Yes - Brian & I had talked about making the {temporary} move to DC for his job someday, but that was all in a land of "maybes" and "what ifs." So when the official call came in May, I went straight into planning mode because, well - that's what I do. It didn't seem right to focus on the things we'd be leaving behind - family, friends, our lovable but bizarre doorman Dino - when there was so much work to be done in less than a month's time.
The first step towards our new life was quitting my job, which was surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. Sure, taking some time off sounded like a great deal but what would I do with myself every day? The natural choice, of course, was to obsess over the details and so I did -- spending way too many hours reading through Craigslist apartment listings, researching furniture rental options & getting lost in Yelp reviews.
In the sprint that led up to our move, Brian & I squeezed in dates with our amazing friends, visited with family & ate at some of our favorite neighborhood spots, repeatedly. Brunch every day at Good Enough to Eat & dinner every night at Cotta, why not?! I found myself suddenly appreciating things I once despised or took for granted in NY -- like waiting to take part in the horrible morning commute on the E train each morning or the ability to walk out our front door & have every delicious treat we could ever want within a block in any direction.
In the sprint that led up to our move, Brian & I squeezed in dates with our amazing friends, visited with family & ate at some of our favorite neighborhood spots, repeatedly. Brunch every day at Good Enough to Eat & dinner every night at Cotta, why not?! I found myself suddenly appreciating things I once despised or took for granted in NY -- like waiting to take part in the horrible morning commute on the E train each morning or the ability to walk out our front door & have every delicious treat we could ever want within a block in any direction.
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| Brian's solo move |
Although we had watched our fair share of House Hunters, I don't think we were prepared for the craziness that awaited us. Turns out all the headaches & anxieties that come with moving are not as easily edited out of real life like they are on TV.
And as with most moves, things did not go entirely as planned, which as you know, drives me crazy!! Instead of winding down, Brian was unusually swamped with work & barely had time to catch his breath. Oh - and did I mention - he was leaving for DC a week ahead of me AND was also going to NOLA for a bachelor party weekend in the midst of our move?
And as with most moves, things did not go entirely as planned, which as you know, drives me crazy!! Instead of winding down, Brian was unusually swamped with work & barely had time to catch his breath. Oh - and did I mention - he was leaving for DC a week ahead of me AND was also going to NOLA for a bachelor party weekend in the midst of our move?
Cue panic mode here!
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| Where did we get all of this stuff??? |
In the end, I had to pack up the entire apartment by myself. (Except for the afternoon when HSLP graciously came over to help pack our kitchen in her usual meticulous style!) While I did enjoy some fun trips down memory lane in the process, packing was exhausting...and also really sad. We had so many great times in that apartment - getting engaged, watching the Giants win the Super Bowl, Wii dance parties, celebrating holidays together.
I was not loving life & was honestly starting to second guess this whole thing. As usual, Brian was there with a smile on his face -- trying to make the best of the situation.
I was not loving life & was honestly starting to second guess this whole thing. As usual, Brian was there with a smile on his face -- trying to make the best of the situation.
(He's so much better at that then I am!!)
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| Wittendog enjoying the spoils of our move! |
When moving day finally arrived, I was ready with the plan - who was doing what, what was being moved when, etc.
Of course, Mother Nature had plans of her own & so, in between downpours, we abandoned order & were forced to sprint back-and-forth from our building with our most precious belongings in hand. My father-in-law, who is a true packing genius, provided some much needed help & comic relief along the way.
Thank goodness for Wittendog!!!
Of course, Mother Nature had plans of her own & so, in between downpours, we abandoned order & were forced to sprint back-and-forth from our building with our most precious belongings in hand. My father-in-law, who is a true packing genius, provided some much needed help & comic relief along the way.
Thank goodness for Wittendog!!!
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| R2 is better than any GPS! |
A few hours later, we were heading South on I-95 in our bright yellow Penske truck. We had all the road trip necessities with us -- an R2D2 bank filled with change for the tolls, Tate's chocolate chip cookies & lots of good tunes on the iPod. Brian drove that truck like a champ, through a legitimate mini-tornado in Baltimore & horrific traffic on the Beltway.
After 5+ hours on the road, we finally pulled onto our new street as - you guessed it - more torrential rain hit! We were soaked, as were our movers & all of our boxes. I wanted to cry but instead, as we stood dripping all over our new apartment, I just had to laugh!
Was it perfect...not even close! Did it go as planned...not even a little bit!
But somehow, it turned out to be a pretty fun adventure (as life with Brian tends to be) & I'm guessing there's plenty more ahead!
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| My expert driver & resident comedian |
I love that Wittendog claimed the Toilet Trivia! And of course R2 is better than a GPS - he uses The Force!
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