The past week and a half has been a whirlwind! Here's how they've gone:
I started going through my things two Saturdays ago. Ben was studying for the Bar so I spent the afternoon purging my things. My criteria: anything more than 5 years old, gone. Anything too big or too small, gone. Anything I haven't touched in more than a year and a half, gone. Let's just say I restocked The Good Will. (THANK YOU Laura for helping me get through it!)
Ben got back to DC on Thursday evening. He rented a U Haul trailer on Friday and we started filling it up with stuff on Saturday.
I worked my last day at USAID on Monday. I loved my job and was sad to go. I had just started getting into my groove there. It's amazing to look back at the person I was when I was first hired and to see how much i've grown and how much confidence I've gained professionally and personally.
Then we drove across the country on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Highlights of the drive include:
- Visiting Nan and Keith in The 'Nati.
- A quick stop at Independence, MO where we saw Megan and Jim who were also making the cross country track. CRAZY seeing friends in such a remote place.
- Eating Arthur Bryant's BBQ in Kansas City. Seriously, I don't think better BBQ exists in this world. (Tracy, I hope you and O eat there often.)
- Stopping at every antique store we saw along the way to see if we could find a vintage milk glass cake stand that was 14 inches in diameter. Nope, doesn't exist, but I think I found a new hobby for cross country trips.
- Seeing Denver! We pulled in and immediately started looking at neighborhoods and talking about the type of place we want to live. We dropped our things off in a storage facility and stayed the night with Aunt Pam. She took good care of us!
- Eating hamburgers at Ray's Tavern in Green River, UT and going back to Green River to pick up watermelons for Ben's mom and my sister.
- Stopping in a Love's to fill up on gas and buy an iPod transmitter so we could listen to tunes. We returned it at the next Love's since it didn't work and found a way better one at the Flying J. Go to the Flying J for your audio equipment road trip needs.
- Stopping at Walmart to buy Crest White Strips. Gotta get ready for next Friday!
- listening to A Thousand Splendid Suns on audio tape.
- Making up country songs by rotating each line between ourselves.
- Filling up a 16 gallons in a 16 gallon tank. BTW, there are pretty much no gas stations after Topeka, KS.
This evening, my new mother and sister in law threw a bridal shower for me. So many dear friends and family came, and I met several new aunts and cousins. Ben has a great family - I'm so excited to be a part of it.
Life's been a whirlwind, but I'm completely elated about it! I am happy and grateful. Excited for the coming week and the fresh new life ahead!
