T-14

Unreal that the day that has taken so long to get here is now only two weeks away! I'm looking forward to starting my next adventure. I've never been to Seattle and I am anxious to see the area (and of course, my cousins!!). I was looking at the Weather Channel forecast for Seattle and Vancouver and Brrrrr. It's going to be jeans and possibly jacket weather. I'm so very mentally unprepared for that.

Although, honestly, I am very mentally unprepared for the descent to cooler and then cold weather every year.  So, I am happy to report that I've implemented Phase I of "Getting the Hell Out of Dodge" or "Let the Sunshine In". I'm not sure what to call this phase but they both mean I am one step closer to moving south!  Yes, I put my house up for sale. Although I won't be relocating for a few years, I needed to take this step so when the time comes, I can easily pack up and go!

The house hasn't officially even gone on the market yet. That happens next week. But I am already over it. LOL I just want it to be sold and be done with everything. I've been preparing for months and months for this. I've gone through every closet and storage bin in my house and either threw away, gave away or donated a TON of things. I don't consider myself a hoarder type of person by any means, but I still had a ton of things. It was kind of therapeutic going through that--it started that mental process of letting go.

And I have to tell you that there are plastic bins of things I just could not let go of. My ex-husband graciously agreed to store these bins. They are all mementoes of my kids' childhoods and a few cherished outfits of theirs. I couldn't even bring myself to go through them because I know how emotional I would have become. (I lose it when I read the cards they've gotten me over the years)

The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity getting some small items fixed or spruced up before the sale. I am blessed to have friends and an ex-husband that helped me get these things completed. Having completed everything is sort of bittersweet. The house looks fabulous and it's also the way I've wanted it to look for years and now it's for sale. On the other hand, I do not need 2200 square feet of house for one person. Moving will reduce my expenses quite a bit and allow me to save more money for my retirement. So, like I said, bittersweet.

But, back to T-14, I am so excited!!!! Although I've been on a couple of vacations since Tahiti, those didn't have that sense of adventure and excitement that Tahiti had or that this Vacation has--and the lack of blog posts reflects this. I'm not sure if it's just the fact that I am travelling solo or just the destination or simply the length of the trip. Maybe it's all three.

And as people find out I am going solo, they are still telling me how brave I am and how they could never do that. I don't feel that way. It's not that I don't like to travel with a companion or two, it's more that I have no one interested in going the places I go on these long trips. Yes, they are not cheap, but as previously stated in other posts, they are planned quite a bit in advance and the money to finance them is budgeted. And money seems to be the biggest deterrent. Jealousy

I did splurge a bit on this trip and sprung for business class seats--both to Seattle and back home from Hawaii. The Seattle legs will be in the old style first class seats--just wider than coach and more leg room. Which is fine. Definitely more comfortable. But, flying back from Hawaii, I booked a flight that has the lay flat business class seats. We leave Honolulu at 530 their time and land in Dallas at 6 or 7am the next morning. A total of 7+ hours flight time, so that lay flat seat and all that goes with it will be great. And I chose a window seat and they are singles! (1, 2, 1 configuration of rows)  I promise to take pictures and post them so you all can see what they look like. (again, very excited)

ttfn

Your Gypsy, Jilly