MassExodus Update: "The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour"

So, as our departure date approaches ever so quickly, our pile of boxes and items on our list of things to do grows exponentially and a slight sense of panic rises up. Like that time you threw up a little bit in your mouth. You know, you feel it and sense it but at least not everyone knows what is happening unless you decide to tell them. Well I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth…

This past weekend, CollegeBoy home on his fall break, his girlfriend MissNicole and MillieJupiter spent time helping us prepare for our trip ahead. They were a combined moving company, counselors, life coaches and sounding board through the weekend as we discussed all manners of our adventure from which dishes to keep, give to them or get rid of, to planning around Kanye, our brat of a cat. What was 3 boxes in the living room on Wednesday night, has grown to a Himalayan pile of boxes and items in the living room, threatening to obscure the view out the picture window. What was a disjointed collection of multiple lists of work for us became just a few massive lists of chores, growing longer and longer despite crossing items off the list as done. Sets of dishes, Christmas decorations and various personal possessions were chosen by the kids, packed in boxes and sent to their appropriate new home. We talked about all manners of our plans, how to do it, when to do it, and why we chose to do it the way we were doing it, until all the planning ran together in one big headache. We began the process of helping our cat prepare for the move, a story all by itself. And, I came up with a name for this next step of our adventure called retirement – “The Car, Cat and Clothes Tour”.

We are driving one car down to New Mexico. This was an easy choice as one of our cars could make the 2500 mile journey, the other sometimes having trouble making it down our driveway. Among the issues discussed this weekend was what to pack in the car, cat planning and an itinerary for the trip. This plan included saying goodbye to family and friends in 3 different parts of the country. This plan includes bringing one piece of furniture on the first leg of the journey while keeping the rest of the cargo to a manageable minimum, including a cat. This plan includes stops in the places, towns, villages, cities, hamlets and hovels such as Binghamton, NY, NYC, Gainesville, VA, New Bern NC, Savannah GA, Tallahassee, FL, Biloxi, MS, New Orleans, Katy TX, Houston, San Antonio too, Carlsbad, NM and finally, after some 10 days and nights, Las Cruces New Mexico. This trip makes my head spin, but I am loving every minute of it.

In the counseling/life coaching/sounding board areas, were things like where to sleep along the way, people to see or not see, cat tranquilizer versus homeopathic remedy versus catnip supply, Pods versus U-Box, professional help versus teenager assistance, what to take versus what to leave, car tires, getting rid of the second car, computer problems, plans and fixes, putting up smoke detectors. While quite a daunting list of things to figure out, it also was just part of beginning to say goodbye to our kids. They have known for a long time that this was our plan, but still it is hard, so hard to say it. This hit home the hardest when CollegeBoy tweeted “Said goodbye to @tfabp and @mrsfabp. The next time I see them I will be visiting them in New Mexico!” But as was pointed out to me, we will be seeing them sooner than this past summer when he was in Manhattan on his internship.

So the countdown to Las Cruces, New Mexico has begun. Less than a month until we arrive in the Land of Enchantment. Dream realized.

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit…