Moving...

Hello, friends! 

It's been a little over 6 months since we loaded up the truck, hopped on 70 and left CoMO as home. Moving on January 27, 2018 was a hard thing, in more ways that one. 

Let's start with the logistics. I'd been living in CoMO since 2007 and had been living in that house in one room or another since 2009. During that time, that house was a home base for InterVarsity activities, as well as a marriage and 2 kids. In short, it was full of stuff. When we were ordering the truck, we kept going back and forth between whether or not we should get the 20' or 26' truck. I was pretty sure that we had more stuff than a 20' truck could hold but not by much, and by going with the 20' truck, we'd save some money on the rental and on gas. But, ultimately we decided that it was better safe than sorry so we opted for the big boy. I'm glad we did. 

We started loading up early in the morning. The plan was for us to load up as quickly as possible so we could have some of our friends in Omaha help us unload before it got to dark. It was great having so many friends (and even Aunt Judi!) come to help us load up the truck and say goodbye. We definitely needed all the help we could get. 

Y'all... the stuff just kept coming. We moved everything out of room after room and still the boxes kept flowing. We filled that truck to the brim and even had to leave a thing or two behind. Still, we got it done, said a prayer, and shoved off. 

Before our Christmas trip to California, we drove both cars up to Omaha then left one of them parked up there and drove to Kansas City for our flight. That meant that I drove the moving truck while Meg, Aunt Judi, Ezra, and Thaliea, rode in the van. My dream has always been to be a trucker. Driving along 70 and up 29 by myself in a 26' U-Haul is probably as close as I'll ever get. Without the benefits of conversation, I had a bag of snacks, 2 big bottles of water, and a lot of podcasts to keep me company. It was only a 5 hour trip but it was pretty grueling. 

Arriving at our new house, I realized 3 things. 1) I'd beaten Meg and the van here. 2) I really had to pee. 3) Meg had the keys so there was no way for me to get into the house... After deciding that there was no good place for me to pee outside, I did what any normal person would do: I introduced myself to the neighbors, and asked if I could use their bathroom. =0). 

Honestly, the only reason anyone should ever move to Omaha during January is because it's the beginning of Sabbatical. When I got there, there was ice in the driveway, snow on the ground, and a light dusting coming from the sky. Thankfully, we had friends there to help us unload, and we were able to begin our new lives as citizens of the great state of Nebraska. 

Emotionally, I think I actually did better than I thought I would. You don't spend 10+ years living in a town without having some emotional attachment. CoMO is where I had my first job. It's where Meg and I moved for our first home. It's where Ezra and Thaliea were born. It's where I found Jingo's spicy beef noodle soup. There are a lot of great memories. I wasn't sure how sad I would be to be leaving my home for the past decade. It was sad but I knew that I had a good reason for going and that the life ahead would be a good one. All I had to do was move there...

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam