Moving

Whelp, it has begun. We have to go to Alaska now. That is, if'n we ever want to see our stuff again.

This past Saturday, movers came to our apartment, and hauled away all our beloved things. The stuff of life. Our clutter of happiness. And the mess that we call home.

This is the 4th time in just over four

years of marriage that Heather and I have moved. And I can say with confidence, and I believe most would agree, I HATE MOVING!

Yes, there's excitement over going to a new place and beginning

the next chapter in the novel of our lives. We're super pumped about living in Alaska and all the cold, dark winters and all-day lighted summers that come along with this choice. But, and again I say, but, there are few things in life I enjoy doing less than incessantly boxing up stuff we don't use and shipping to a new place where'n which we still won't use it.

Sometimes I have to ask myself, "How can two people who, up to this point in life, have made barely enough (and sometimes not enough) money to live on, possibly have this much stuff?! Sadly, I have no answer to this question.

We (Heather, Me, and our two moms) spent most of Friday packing up. After the moms left, the two of us were up until 3:30am still packing. When the chief mover arrived to begin inventory the next morning he quickly and nicely informed us that our packing job was inadequate for the 5k mile trip ahead. Professional movers would be stacking our boxes from floor to ceiling in an 18-wheel tractor trailer putting potentially several hundred pounds on the bottom boxes and their contents.

So, with some fresh, sturdy boxes from the pros and some packing tips we (Heather and I running on 4 hours of sleep, and the moms back at it) commenced re-packing anything breakable. Ugh. This lasted several hours.

Long story short: Our stuff is now on a huge truck on its way to Montana, where it will be transferred to a truck heading to Anchorage, our new home city.

Interestingly, the movers had to load a smaller moving truck in our complex and transport it across the street to the Ingles parking lot where the huge truck was stationed. The 18-wheeler had an awesome picture on the side of polar bears in the snow and moose and forrest wilderness. The picture was so well made that, while the movers were transferring our things, a number of cars and people were posing in front of the truck side to take pictures with the polar bears.

Heather was pretty excited that all the hooplah in the parking lot was because of us. I agree, that was kinda cool.

So, here we are, 7 days from our departure date living with camping gear in an empty apartment (sleeping

on the floor).

Again, it's official. In 7 days, ready or not, Alaska here we come!