Best Laid Plans

We're running a week behind schedule. By the end of this week, we had hoped to be photo-ready but the second bathroom is taking longer than planned. It's not easy to balance work and well, more work on top of work. Hubby took the day off yesterday to play in the bathroom. He had hoped to get it done by the end of the night, but around 8 p.m. he called it, exhausted. The floor is in, so are the walls and the wainscotting. The back of the shower is up and the plumbing is done, but there is still at least another 12 - 16 hours of work needed before it's complete. Once the bathroom is done, though, I'll be able to get into the two kid's bedrooms and stage them for the photos, The rest of the house will just need another round of primping to be ready. We've been doing a good job of keeping it clean.

Today is my day off and I've got some outside things to tend to. It's windy and cold, though, and my motivation levels are low, so it's not going to be a labor of love. It'll just be labor. Not a fan. The outside shower needs to be cleaned up and the flower beds and nooks and crannies of the backyard need raking out. The front porch still needs a good makeover, but until the boxes of bathroom stuff are moved, I can't get in there yet.

We're hoping to get everything done by Sunday night. We're both off Sunday, so together we should manage to wrap it all up. Then I'll call our Realtor so he can alert his photographer, make a photoshoot date and get this show on the road. From there, things will move quickly. The house will be listed, the Open House scheduled, the house will sell (fingers crossed!) and we'll be off and running on the next stage of this adventure. 

Thankfully my Boss was able to hire someone amazing. I'll start her training tomorrow and have offered to come in a few days a week next month to make sure she's comfortable. I think she's going to be a good addition to the team. She seems really smart, confident, and capable. I don't think they'll have any issues with her, and she'll pick things up in no time. She's got a lot of computer expertise, more than me, so this may even be exactly what they needed to level up. Things happen for a reason, they'll have forgotten my name by July. Leaving the team is still really hard. I really enjoyed my job and the people I worked with, I'd found my groove. I'm trying not to dwell on it, or what the last day will feel like. It makes it all too overwhelming.

We ordered the graduation invitations for the daughter, so we'll have to begin planning that event at some point, too. I can't even wrap my head around that though. Not yet. If I had unlimited wealth I'd be all over hiring an event planner. Alas, since I will soon be jobless, that's not an option. (I'm also going to miss Amazon!). I have to put one step in front of the other. One item checked off the list at a time, otherwise, I'll go insane.

Lessons we've learned over the past week:

Not everyone will be as happy as you are about your new adventure. Be prepared to deal with an assortment of emotions and reactions from others. Remember how they act has no bearing on you. Be sympathetic, how they feel is valid, but don't let guilt cloud your judgment, don't let anger ruin your day. It's okay if not everyone is okay with you moving. 

Things don't always go as planned. You can make lists have timelines, expectations, but life unravels at its own pace. Be ready to be flexible; with time, with your loved ones, with yourself. With your plans. 

Don't be afraid to reach out to others. My biggest fear was that we'd be homeless the day we turned over the keys. It's hard finding rentals out there, and we have no idea if we'll find a place to buy in time to move from here, to there. (In a perfect world, we would!) We reached out to a good friend who offered us his basement apartment if needed. Even if we don't need it, it's a place to go, and that removes a huge worry from my shoulders. 

Be creative with your planning. You don't have to do things just because it's the way others have done it. If you can think outside of the box, saving yourself time, money, and stress, do it! There is no right or wrong way to sell or buy a house. We were going to rent a storage unit for the things we didn't need daily. Once packed up, we realized how little we actually had. We asked the in-laws if we could use their huge basement to store our tubs and boxes for a little bit. They were happy to help. That alone saved us about $200 a month and a lot of grief. Plus if we need anything, they get a visit from us. Winners all around.

Don't forget to love one another. Don't get too busy for one other. Don't feel guilty if a night comes and neither of you has anything left in you and being couch potatoes, and eating junk food is all you can muster. Also, don't forget to take care of yourselves. Exercise, rest, eat right, take a walk, play with your pets, make love - you need all of those things because an empty fuel tank won't take you very far. Rest and refuel, however, and whatever that means for you. I left work two hours early yesterday because I couldn't keep my eyes open. I came home and did nothing. I went to bed early, I read a book, I slept. I needed to recharge or I was going to burn out.

Reach out to people you know in the State you're planning to move to. Find blogs, FB groups, IG friends. Ask them about their experiences. What they love or don't love about living there. We found a beautiful house with huge potential and sent it to a friend. It was 3 hours away from where we need to be, a beautiful area, but it would have put us in a place that would make hubby's work options slim and family and friends a little too far for anyone's comfort. We found out about black fly season, and bird feeders and bears (if you want birds you're going to get bears!). Ask questions. We now have a circle on our map of places we want to look at. Before we were all over the place. Take trips when you can and talk to the locals. You never know, they might end up being your new best friend. Or neighbor. 

Don't count on people for help. I don't mean this in a dick way. No one, I mean NO ONE wants to help people who are moving. It sucks. We know. Trust me. We've been on the other end of this adventure. So if you find friends or family members who actually DO show up, treat them well. REALLY well. Buy them their favorite bottle of whiskey or beer. Feed them. Watch their dogs. Anything. Because THOSE are your real people, your tribe. Sing their praises. Rub their feet. Write songs about them. They are the keepers. Love them HARD!

Plan a final gathering with your local friends and family. Let them know you will always be there, even if it's by ZOOM, text, or email. Thank them for being in your life all these years. Let them know they will still matter wherever you end up on the map. Don't make them feel like you're abandoning them. Remind them that your new house will be their new vacation spot. Spin the positives when you can, it will make the final goodbyes easier. Also, be prepared to lose touch with some people. It happens. It will happen. Some people can't think outside of their bubbles. It won't be personal. It'll be alright. 

Other than that, go with the flow. Honestly, just roll with every day and whatever happens, happens. What will be, will be. Be open to anything and everything and breathe. That's all you can do. Everything will unfold as it should in the end. What's meant to be, will be.

CURRENT MOOD: Contemplative

LISTENING TO: Tiny Riot, Sam Ryder

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "They say timing is everything, But then they say, there is never a perfect timing for everything." - Anthony Liccione