The details are many. Every two days or so we get overwhelmed with a wave of anxiety about some detail we’ve been putting off. It’s better than 2 weeks ago though- I spent three days panicking about packing the girls sun shirts they would actually wear. And don’t get me started about sizing for little kids beach gear!!
But we’re making progress. At least the calendar says we’re progressing to our departure week.
We’ve also entered the “last of” stage.
Today we had our last day of Polish School. Every two weeks we have a fabulous opportunity to connect with kids of Polish heritage, do Polish dancing, singing, and learn some language! I have also been co-teaching the preschool class the girls are in. It’s a small, but tight community that has helped me feel a great sense of belonging in Portland. I feel so lucky to belong.
Next week I’m holding the last two tutoring sessions for my 9 year old student. This has been very enjoyable for me. It has also been a great way to balance raising the girls and tapping into my previous life as a Special Ed Teacher, working with kiddos with learning disabilities.
We’re also putting in the last of our orders for gear, hardware, and travel necessities.
The last of fridge and freezer provisions are being used creatively. But our chest freezer is absolutely full. We wouldn’t be The Rambling Larder if we didn’t have a “larder” problem…no one really needs a chest freezer, but isn’t it nice to have strawberry jam from your summer garden any time in the winter??
It’s also getting time for goodbyes and the last of hangouts with friends. It is amazing to see how many friends we’ve made in this short 6 year period. We will miss seeing everyone but we promise to be back for the summer. This is especially hard for the girls because these friends are their world. They’re especially going to miss their cousin, he’s like a brother to them.
We are extremely grateful to have the good fortune and luxury to step away from our livelihood, home, and community to go on this trip of a lifetime. Thank you to our parents who have supported us and extended family.
I know it will all work out and we’ll be able to pull away from the house confident enough. We’ve done this before so I know the steps. But, it’s hard keeping the girls anxiety about our departure day in check, doing the daily wear-you-down work of raising preschool aged children, and remembering to do those trip tasks at 8pm each night, which we’ve told ourselves we would get to once the girls went down.