Saying Goodbye

There is a serious emotional component to moving and until now, I have been ignoring it, and trying to see if it will go away. Better yet, when it gets my eyes watering, I just suppress it. I'm not so sure that is good for my mental health. Perhaps Larry has some cognitive behavioral therapy for me...

This last week has been one of goodbyes. We are starting to see people for the last time and having to realize that it may be the last time we see these people for quite a long time. You might think that melodramatic, but there is something very real about this emotion.

The first time I felt this feeling was after our visit up north in May to see my family for the last time before we leave. We had a great visit with my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews and even got to see the 6 minute Memorial Day Parade in Littleton, MA.



(yes we brought Gasparilla to Littleton)

On our last day, Larry and I had breakfast with my parents on the way to the airport. After we left them, the impact of the decision to move halfway around the world became patent. While I don't get to see my family in person that often, it is comforting to know that they are only a 3 hour flight away. It was the first time that the move seemed almost scary, but Columbus, great Italian explorer that he was, would never have discovered us had he gotten scared and turned around.

After Many tries we did get a great family picture!



Slowly, but surely we are saying goodbye to other family members and friends. We had a FABULOUS party that our friends Kim and Emil Kovalchik threw for us about a week ago. It was a really fun to get a bunch of our friends together in one place at one time. We reverted back to junior high with the girls talking in one room and the guys in another - it was too funny, especially when our friend John Shields came into the girls room. He got run out of there as fast as you can say tampon! Everyone got along as though we all had been BFFs and I think some new friendships got started that night, so there is another great by-product of our move.

Just this past weekend we had another smashing event, a gathering with the Walker-Gatson Clan. When you are around this group of young families you can feel in the air the amount of love and caring they have for each other. It was so special for Larry and I that they came from literally across the state of Florida to be with us one last time before we leave. They even took the time to make posters of Aussie slang with the American definition, e.g. "Happy as Larry" in Australian English means "Very Happy" in American English; "Icy Pole" = "Popsicle" and hung them around the house! We are definitely going to miss them, especially at Thanksgiving since that is our main event of the year with them. Australians don't celebrate that holiday!



Another family picture!



Balancing our social schedule has been difficult with work and packing demands. The movers are coming soon and we are not completely prepared for that...