I am safely ensconced in our snug little North Carolina town, enjoying my favorite part of moving: unpacking. That’s after a six-hour delay in the San Francisco airport (you know you’re in trouble when you have a 7:00 AM flight and they offer lunch and dinner vouchers while you wait), and another delay with the moving truck. The mover called me from our address in Morgantown – not Morganton – wanting to know why I wasn’t at home. I was relieved that the other town was only three hours away, afraid he had taken a ferry to the Lower Banks and would have to wait three days for a return ferry.
I love finding a home for our things in our new home for many reasons. I get to express my creative flair, nesting instinct, organizational skill, and natural optimism for new beginnings. As I wade through the sea of boxes in the next few days, if I find the one with our Christmas decorations, I’m going to put them out now. Yes, I know it’s October; I can see the leaves begin to turn colors in the Great Smokies. But after our final six weeks in the Bay Area and our drive cross-country, we’ll arrive after Thanksgiving and we’ll be in a Christmas frame of mind.
If you’re bored to tears by now with all the tedious details of our move, not to worry. Today I’m fazing out the phases. (As you break into a rousing cheer, do try to think of how bored I am. Except for the occasional day off, I’ve been focused solely on this since the beginning of August.) To recap, for the final time (I promise), Phase 1 was Purging and Parting with Things – clearly the most emotional. Phase 2: Preparing a Place and Painting It – fun times! Phase 3: Packing. This was the hardest physical labor, made even harder by the time crunch, and then the hordes of workers on my landlady’s deck didn’t necessarily help my sanity either. Phase 4: Putting it All Away – the current phase that I love. Phase 5: Planting Ourselves will take place over the next several years. We can’t wait to see what God has for us and how He wants to use us in our new town and new life.