The Adventure Begins: Leaving Home

Jan 6, 2025

Paine Field airport, 5:30 am: We’re off! No sleep in the last week. Everything chaos, down to the wire. Got the house cleaned, signed lease with renters and sold the car by Saturday night. Chaos continued all day Sunday. Finished packing, emptied house, storage, donations and dump. More tearful goodbyes. The car got picked up at 8pm, printing documents and downloading shows by 9, in bed by 9:30 (not David, lol).

7:00 am: wheels up! Breaking through the black of pre-dawn low-lying clouds to a beautiful sunrise over Mt Rainier. Could hardly see it through our tears. Expected jubilation over finally being underway in reality was the pain of parting having space to take hold. Extremely bittersweet departure. Goodbye Mt Rainier, goodbye Seattle life and family and friends, goodbye house and car and knowing how to navigate our little corner of the world. Hello far-flung family and friends, friends unknown, learning everything anew. What the hell are we doing? I love what we’re doing… still crying though, lol.

Sunrise over Mt Rainier

Bittersweet goodbye