pack my life away

Packing, packing and more packing. HA! Not really. We have been doing a really poor job about getting our things sorted out. Its difficult to move but leaving the country has posed an even more challenging factor - we aren't taking anything. Like basically nothing. We are mostly packed and it looks like we are taking 2 full boxes of 'things'. Not including clothing, personal items, ect., ect.. You get the point.

We finally buckled down yesterday and got everything sorted. Keep. Sell. Toss. As my mom and I sat sorting though everything we ended up with 2 take and 9 sell boxes. What!? Granted we can't take much but still. 9 sell? Why did I have all this stuff if I could get rid of it so quickly. It made me start thinking about how much we just fill our space. Not with anything of real value or need but just for the sake of filling it up. 

We read books, so we get a bookshelf. Since we have a boo shelf now we need pictures and nik-nacks to sit on top of the book shelves. Then we buy a fancy Swiffer to clean all this stuff. Then we spend our precious time and energy maintaing all this stuff.

I'm not saying its wrong to want or have any of those things, obviously I'm guilty of this as well. But I started to think about how fleeting it all is; how quickly I just tossed it all in the "sell" pile. I realized we could live in a house half the size, have half the amount of things and have twice as much time to spend doing things together as a family. I realized the only things I cared to pack were pictures, books and a few special items. And those items are only special cause they were given to us by friends and family. It made me think about how all that really matters is being together as a family. I'm even not as scared as I was about all four of us living in one room for the next twelve months. Ekkk. Okay still a little scared ;)

Packing was scaring and exciting. The first step to feeling like this is really happening. So as I sit in this  half empty room, no pictures on the wall, 2 cups in the cabinets and boxes everywhere I'm realizing this is real. Very real. I would say I packed our life away these last two days but I'd be lying. I packed a bunch of stuff that's pretty and sometimes gets in the way of life. Life is Luis and Nico and Charlotte. 

Life is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Eric, Denise, Christian, James and Nana here we come. Ready or not!  

Colmobia or Bust

 ...but literally, like Colombia or bust!

We're young, wild and free ... alright, mostly just young! The two kids kind of tied down that wild and free part. So it's not unexpected that we are dumping our entire life long savings into this move! Scary? Yes of course! Exciting? I'm sure eventually! Right now its just work and nerves and then a little more nerves!

Luis and I fight a reasonable amount that two almost married people with kids should fight. But we don't bicker. You know that, everything you do annoys me and please go away quickly before I scream, bickering? That, we don't do that, never have! Well not until this last week! Pressure is on and we are feeling it big time! There is much to do and little time to do it.

Oh and we're supposed to be actively participating in our wedding planning. HA! Yeah, right! 

Truth be told, I'm a free spirit, always have been and probably always will be. I'm going into this whole thing totally open to the possibility that it might not work out and that is a-oh-kay. Not because I want to dump a bunch of money down the drain, sell all my possessions and up-root my family for nothing! Simply, because I will have done it! 

I will have seen an amazing opportunity to live in another world, learn a new culture and a language, study people and be shaped by the world in a whole new way ... and I will have done it! I will be able to look back and tell my children all the places they have been, the views they have see and who was on my back where! I will appreciate all the things "my world" has to offer and find out some ways of living I enjoy more. I will hear and see things that touch my soul; in sadness and joy. I will look back on it someday and feel life in me again. 

And you see I can feel that way because luckily Luis is not so much that way! He's a man; basically, end of story. As much as an equality preacher - men feel this innate responsibility to provide for their families. Work pressure is like no other pressure for a man. Case and point as follows-

man has bad day at work. 
man comes home and makes everyone else have bad day. 
end of story. 

Clearly as opposed to women's day- 

women has a bad dream about something totally unrealistic happening between her and her man.
women has horrible day at work. 
cries 5 times in the bathroom. 
sends 20 'you don't love me' text messages.
calls mans phone 14 times. 
(many more overly dramatic thing happen)
story to be much continued every time man brings up women's bad dream.

Men bring work home and women bring home to work. A man's job is important to him, its his value, his worth. You see, it's not that Luis isn't excited for all those same adventures that I am. Of course he is. It's simply his underlying need to be sure he can support his family. That they will always be clothed, fed organic gluten free food, and kept safe (and never to forget about the gluten free food). He has never been one to worry but its a big step and a huge leap of faith. What if we fail. What is he fails. So many 'what if's'. Its challenging us, testing what we're made of, finding out if we can make it. And if we will, if we can press on, remember why we love each other...

The reward is sweet so very sweet. 

  
I'm back writing, Keeping up to date with the steps leading up to the 'BIG move'. I'll keep you posted on all the crazy adventures we are having to get ready for our journey to paradise. I'm mostly looking forward to the breastfeeding, baby-wearing and back-packing. Ready or not .. Colombia or BUST! 

oh man, and if you didn't get the news we are moving to Colombia in October.