On Monday, a week ago, the moving van came and loaded up our house and took it off to Colorado (or somewhere). I watched the movers loading up boxes and grew less and less confident about my packing ability. Whether or not anything makes it in one piece -- and whether they can navigate the narrow alleys and steep hills upon which we now live -- we'll find out this weekend.
While the movers were loading up, I got a call from the job I'd been waiting to hear from offering me a full-time position in Seattle. The whole process moved at light speed: it took about two and a half weeks from the time I applied to the time I accepted the offer, including a phone interview, an in-person panel meeting (for which I flew to Seattle the week before we moved), and Skyping with the Dean. I am really excited for this opportunity. More to come on that, but first, back to the move...
On Tuesday, Josh and I had one final lunch in Houston before loading up the cats and what we could fit in the car and setting out on a five day adventure that took us through West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, San Francisco, and up the California coast to Oregon and finally Seattle. For anyone who would like to replicate this harrowing adventure, here's the breakdown:
Day 1: Houston --> Marfa, TX
Day 2: Marfa --> Phoenix, AZ
Day 3: Phoenix --> Los Banos, CA (*we skipped LA due to fear of traffic)
Day 4: Los Banos --> Grants Pass, OR
Day 5: Grants Pass --> Seattle, WA
Maybe you should take a shorter route, but we wanted to drive some of the California coast as a way of honoring and marking the transition between our former homes and our new one. And it was super fun to drive through San Francisco with the cats and be able to say "dad lived there!"
Speaking of the cats, some notes:
1. Zuleika freaked the eff out on Day 1 and basically exploded in her crate within the first few hours on the road. Josh cleaned her up (ruining all his clothes in the process) and after that it was smooth sailing. She didn't even meow in the car, unlike the other two blabbermouths who would not shut up the whole time.
2. We kept the cats crated in the car, and took turns letting one out to sit (supervised) on the passenger's lap. I've heard from other people who let their cats roam around, but our car was packed full, the cats don't get along, and I live in fear of a furry one under the brake pedal. So, crates.
3. It was surprisingly easy to find cat-friendly hotels, and beyond the first day's explosion the cats basically ate and used the cat box when and where we wanted them to. Kudos to La Quinta where we stayed twice and does not charge a pet fee. But, if you do this, remember to leave a nice tip!
On Saturday, we arrived in Seattle, met our landlord to pick up the key, and sank into an exhausted puddle of sleeping bag and cats.
On Sunday, we met up with some Houston friends who happened to be vacationing here at the same time as our move.
On Monday, we made a massive Target run and got the Internet up and running.
On Tuesday, Josh went back to work and I resumed position in the cat/sleeping bag puddle.
We're eating well and meeting up with friends and exploring the neighborhood. But, I'm trying to take it slow--and not feel any guilt about it--so I can be as rested as possible to start work next week.
It's really pretty here -- it's like a real, legit city, where the shopping carts at Target get their own escalators and everything. It's rained basically every day, with some hours of sun peeking through. My goal is to eat a disproportionate amount of oysters, and walk everywhere.
I'm tired. But, I'm happy, and excited for this next chapter.
Love to yous.
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