So this is it....crunch time.
It seems like the last two months have gone both painfully slow, and impossibly, scarily fast. My list of things that need to get done before we leave started out BIG. Like pages and pages. Slowly it has been whittled down to about 2/3 of a page. Which is still long, but in comparison to even 2 weeks ago seems very manageable.
We've got all of our insurance, dealt with the banks (we need American credit cards and bank accounts), taken care of passports, packed up all of our stuff for storage (there is a GIANT pile of boxes in the front entryway waiting to go to the storage locker), sold our minivan, figured out our American cell phone plans (so much cheaper it's not even funny), got our new iMac for on the road, had the RV tuned up and checked over, etc. etc.
This last week we have had some really crazy stormy weather. Yesterday, while doing some cleaning and organizing inside Thor (yes, that's what the kids named our motorhome), I noticed a leak. Yes, a leak. Waaah. We are taking it on on Monday to get the roof resealed, so hopefully that's all it needs. They told us that if we caught it right away, which I'm pretty sure we did, it should still be fine. Here's hoping!!!
Of course there will always be unforeseen problems right before a big trip like this, but it's still not fun.
On Monday, we are going to the homeschooling office to get the coursework for the boys. I don't know if I'm scared of excited about this. I have always had pretty strong opinions of the importance of learning in a classroom setting, but I think 4 months of homeschooling will actually be a pretty awesome experience. And (really annoying mom statement coming) my kids are incredibly smart, so I'm more concerned about my teaching skills than their learning abilities.
So our date for departure is March 3rd. We moved it up a day or two so that we can spend a few days with my Dad and Stepmom in Sequim, Wa. My dad (who is the most incredible cook, BTW) has already planned out our meals. I'm actually a little overexcited about it, to be honest.
Lots of people have asked why we have such a specific date. Matt is going to the Game Developers conference (commonly known as GDC) in San Francisco on March 17. Although it will only realistically take a few days to get to San Fran, we wanted to stop at Canon Beach on Oregon, and the Redwood national forest in northern California first. After stopping at my Dad's (in Sequim) and my sister's (in Orting, near Seattle) first. So we just set a date, and are sticking with it. That way, we know we will get everything done in time.
So here we are, just a week (and a couple days) away. Getting giddy with excitement here. And since I woke up to frost and grey skies today, California is calling my name.
