T (-) 1 week!

Today is Sunday night, and my scheduled leave date is this Saturday! 6 more days and i am outta here; hasta luego! I've been having a great time hanging out with family and getting together with some friends. I've been going thru my boxes, piles, and drawers of stuff that i would like to bring, and getting rid of even more stuff! I have to make another trip to GoodWill. I feel like just getting rid of so much stuff has been very cathartic, and i feel a lot less stress (even with such a huge change/adventure looming). I'd really like to try to maintain a lifestyle of having less "things" around. I don't want to sound like I'm gonna try to be a hippie, hitchhiker, minimalist, or whatnot, but I do like the idea of keeping my things under control. We'll see :) I've kinda stopped applying for jobs. I'm still looking, but more for ideas of where I can look into applying once I'm out there. I'm nervous about the idea of going out there with no job lined up, and still having to pay car loan and insurance, student loans, and some cc bills. But, I just keep reminding myself that I have a bit 'o money saved up now, so that I will be alright for a few months. (Whew, huge relief) I've been emailing and texting the people I know out there and just getting myself psyched up by hearing how excited they are to have me come out! That's really been the best thing. I don't think I could have ever kept up my determination to go if I didn't have such great relationships with these friends out there. (Huge shout out to Kara, Coltin, Coltin II, Caiden, Mira, Alyssa, Vincent, Jada, Joe, Adam, Coco, Devon, Seth, Angelo, Vega, and 'soon to be baby #4 - congrats Coco and Devon! (and special thanks to Coltin II, and Caiden for being so awesome about me taking over their bedroom, You guys Rock!!!) I just got my mom set up with Skype today and made sure that that works, so we can video chat. And hopefully I can make sure that Clare and Trevor have a skype account set up before I leave as well. I am getting ready for my last 2 days of work at Park Nicollet this week!!!! It's gonna be so hard to go! After 9 1/2 years, can you believe that? Then I have to really start packing like a fiend. I read somewhere that you should pack the most important stuff first, cuz if you run out of room, you don't want to have your important stuff left out. Makes sense, but everything that I consider "important" is stuff that I use on a daily basis, so how the heck am I going to pack that before friday night??? And speaking of friday night... I am still having a going away party with my friends at Wild Bills in Blaine! Hopefully I will get to see most of you there! I had a going away party with my family over the weekend, and that was great. Most people were able to make it, and everyone was so great and supportive! I love you all so much, thank you! So I can't wait to have another great night with all of my friends - or at least those of you who will be in town, since I know some of you will be away :( I have been checking the weather frequently. Seattle's weather has been awesome. But the trick will be making the drive out without hitting any of the bad weather that's been going thru Montana and Idaho, and the Cascades. I really really don't want to hit a snowstorm going thru the passes in the Rockies or the Cascades! Other than that, just living :) I'm sure I'll have some more to say as it gets closer to friday. Buenas noches