Good-bye, Sitka!

A busy final week in town!  Our move was perfectly timed to coincide with Sitka’s annual Spring Clean-up week (free trash-dumping!) and Cassie’s trip to San Antonio (so she didn’t get to help pack and clean).  AAA Moving and Storage was very helpful and efficient.

We have many wonderful friends who stepped up to help me pack and clean and haul away, and who took me in once the house was emptied.  Thank you, Jennifer and Taylor, Lindsay and Paul, Chris and Charles.  We love you all so much!!! 

Tuesday was spent visiting the chiropractor (aaaaah!  Thank you, Karen Zamzow!), dropping off a map at our former workplace so the kids can follow us on our journey (we’ll be sending postcards), stopping at the DMV since Cassie’s ID will expire soon,  a little last-minute shopping for cards and gifts, and packing up the car.  A few dear friends made sure we had a sweet send-off.  *tear*

Our first night on the ferry we enjoyed dinner with newly-wed Danielle Fleming-Perkins, who was on her way to Petersburg for work.  Also on board are Jere and Karen Christner, who are group leaders for Road Scholars (formerly known as Elderhostel).  And we made friends with our Purser, Kurt, who has lots of suggestions for stops on our road trip.

It was too foggy to move this morning after our arrival in Petersburg, so we missed the tide and anchored in Skow Bay to wait for a few hours.  A gorgeous day! Cassie and I are walking miles around the ship’s deck.

Me and Chris.  <3 p="">

Our packed car!

Annie!

Gonna miss this little one!

Us and Carolyn

The send-off party

Last Sitka photo

With our Purser, Kurt and green bear

Travel snacks and goodies from our friends.

the long answer

 Now that the house has FINALLY sold and we are leaving Alaska, everyone is asking "where are you going?"

The short answer:  "Everywhere!"

The long answer:  We're going on a road trip.  Currently the plan takes us about 8,000 miles through 29 states.  That will likely change because I don't have a schedule.  I don't know where I belong, and I'm thinking that I will find my place somewhere along the way.

The longer answer:  Our plan is to travel through these cities:

• Seattle, Washington
• Olympia, Washington
• Astoria, Oregon
• Cannon Beach, Oregon
• Tillamook, Oregon
• Portland, Oregon
• Boise, Idaho
• Pocatello, Idaho
• Blackfoot, Idaho
• Moose, Wyoming
• Dubois, Wyoming
• Casper, Wyoming
• Douglas, Wyoming
• Keystone, South Dakota
• Scenic, South Dakota
• Mitchell, South Dakota
• Bloomington, Minnesota
• North Freedom, Wisconsin
• Chicago, Illinois
• South Bend, Indiana
• Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Detroit, Michigan
• Niagara Falls, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Glen Spey, New York
• Columbia, New Jersey
• Easton, Pennsylvania
• Brentwood, New York
• New York, New York *
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Washington, D.C.
• Charlottesville, Virginia
• Williamsburg, Virginia
• Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
• Nags Head, North Carolina
• Avon, North Carolina
• Fayetteville, North Carolina
• Asheville, North Carolina
• Maryville, Tennessee
• Atlanta Georgia
• Auburn, Alabama
• Mobile, Alabama
• Pearlington, Mississippi
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Beaumont, Texas
• Houston, Texas
• Bastrop, Texas
• New Braunfels, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Roswell, New Mexico
• Alamogordo, New Mexico
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Grants, New Mexico
• Petrified Forest, Arizona
• Four Corners
• Flagstaff, Arizona
• Barstow, California
• Anaheim, California
• Mesa, Arizona

Aren't you glad you asked?

We're planning a combination of tent camping, airbnb stays, and cheap hotels.  We will also not refuse any offers of housing with friends along the way (unless you have a cat).  We will also not refuse offers of housing with friends of friends. 

If you've read this far and your current city is on our list, it's probably because we want to see YOU!  I don't know when we'll be there. I'm thinking this whole trip will take about 60 days.  I plan to keep this blog updated throughout the trip so if you're interested you could follow us and get an estimate of when we might be near you.  

*  from New York, it makes sense to go visit Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, etc., so we will probably add a few more states.

Merry Christmas!

Have you seen that Tom Hanks movie “The Terminal”?  My life right now feels a little bit like he must have felt.  Waiting.  And more waiting.

A quick recap  of our 2014:

Cassie really seemed to enjoy her Senior year at Sitka High School.  She did some traveling within the state for choir, vocal jazz, and soccer.  Turns out she’s a pretty awesome soccer player, though she only played for one season.  And we already knew about her amazing vocal talent.  She graduated in May and is now working full time as a preschool teacher.  Cassie’s friend, Chris, moved to New Orleans in June and she was able to visit there in August and December.  As soon as she returned, she was online searching for her next destination.

Arnold and his wife, Nichole, made a brief visit to Sitka before he was transferred from Camp Pendleton to Okinawa.  They’ll be there for three years (left California in late April).  Can’t say much about how they’re doing as Arnold has never been very chatty. 

In March, I put the house on the market , anticipating that it would sell quickly and we’d be leaving Sitka this past summer.  We’ve been waiting now for nine months.  Waiting, getting rid of as much stuff as I can, and waiting.

What’s next?  We have a road trip planned that takes us through 29 states and across nearly 8,000 miles. I hope to find where I belong somewhere along the way.   Of course the road trip can’t happen until the house sells, so we’re waiting.  

Cassie and Rosie model the Vocal Jazz dresses.  Much sparklier than evident in the picture!

Cassie and Nichole.

Arnold and Nichole.

PROM!  Cassie and Chris. (Doesn't she look stunning?!?!?)

GRADUATION!  Cassie and me.  So proud of her!

Recognition of Seniors at the last soccer game -- Rosie, Cassie and Abigail.

Cassie and our friend, Annie, baking cookies.

Merry Christmas!

Coming Attractions

I'm beginning to draft a blog post in lieu of a Christmas letter.  That will be posted soon.  While I'm sitting on the couch reviewing our year, the TV is tuned to either cheesy holiday movies or a something on Netflix. I've skimmed over a pile of mail that needs to go into the recycle bin.

Over and over I hear or read the phrase "Let it go."

No, I am not watching "Frozen" again (though I do love that movie).

Let it go.

It's not just the theme of the day, it has been my anthem for 2014.  Letting go of all the clutter.  Letting go of commitments.

Eventually this house will sell and I can be on my way.  It will be terrifying and heartbreaking and exhilarating and freeing.  I can't wait to let it go.

Rentals

A couple of weekends ago, Cassie was babysitting and we took the kids up Castle Hill.  It was an absolutely beautiful day.  We spent some time in the early morning at the beach where Cassie took adorable photos of the kids (if you haven't seen them, they're posted on her facebook page).  Saw an acquaintance up there who said to me "Are these your grandkids?"

"NOOOOOOOO!"

They are pretty cute, though.

Dane found a stick and used it as his rifle.

Annie is just a doll!

 The view of downtown.

Bees on the fireweed.

4th Annual Disneyland Pilgrimage!

Yes, WAAAY back in March, Cassie and I headed south for our fourth annual pilgrimage to Disneyland.  We arrived late in the evening at LAX, made our way to the hotel in Anaheim, and then headed to Walmart for hotel-room-picnic supplies!

 A few hours of sleep later, we're off to DISNEYLAND!  So excited for our first ride of the day:  the tram from the Mickey and Friends parking area!  Wheeeee!

Cassie enjoyed seeing the costumes from Once Upon a Time in the shop windows on Hollywood Way in California Adventure.

 She also enjoyed beating my score in Toy Story Mania.

 I saved this bite of corndog for Lori, but she wasn't able to come enjoy it.  :'-(

 We found a hidden Mickey while waiting in the short line for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree!

 We were looking like responsible citizens, so a CM asked us to carry this little card to the front of the line!  (For those who should know this but don't, Cast Members give these cards to guests so they can accurately display wait times for popular rides.)

Sunday was Shopping Day!  We stopped for fuel first, and a VERY perky girl welcomed us with free samples.  She was possibly on her own sugar-fueled high.  Is there anything better than a warm Krispy Kreme doughnut? 

 And then we got to see Wicked!  And it was WICKED AWESOME!  We are still listening to the soundtrack and singing along in the car.

 This is the theater in Costa Mesa.

 And the view of the stage from our very far away seats in the theater.  Didn't matter that we were so far away.  The musical was absolutely amazing.

 Wetzel's Pretzels has this blue raspberry lemonade.  When Cassie ordered it, I said "that's a lot of food coloring!"  She didn't exactly believe me when I told her that her tongue was BLUE!

 Starbucks is way better.  No artificial coloring.  And look how cool she looks in her Coach shades...

 On Monday we were stalking some people...

 It's Mikie!

 Mike and Dawn made it a 24-hour adventure and joined us for the day at California Adventure.  It is SO much fun to stand in a 2-hour-long line with Dawn and Mike!  Seriously!

 Go to Mike's blog to see the picture that he took here...

 I think he was cheating off of Dawn's paper at Animation Academy...

 Color coordinated!  She kinda is a super hero!

 Outside the Cozy Cone Motel.

 Got gas?  Mm hm.

On Tuesday we used our Magic Morning admission to ride the new Matterhorn (disappointed in the new seats), Astro Orbiters, and then got in line for Space Mountain.

 So why were we the ONLY people on the tram LEAVING the park at 9:30 a.m.?

 Because we were headed to Camp Pendelton to pick up ARNOLD!!!

 He returned from Afghanistan on Monday and we were thrilled to be able to spend a few hours with him on Tuesday at the now even happier Disneyland Resort.

 This might look like a kiddie ride, but it's super fun.

 See how happy they are?

And then on Wednesday we left super early for our super early flight from LAX (Cassie didn't even go to sleep since we really only had an hour by the time we took Arnold back to base and drove back to the hotel).  We were pretty exhausted, and we had a NINE HOUR layover in Juneau on the way home, so we rented a car and drove out to the Shrine of St. Therese (among other things).  It was FREEZING and we didn't have warm coats -- we just came back from California!  But here's proof that we walked across the causeway in 19 degree weather...