Once we got back from the Born To Run Race in California we had another race ahead of us…a race against time. Yes, it was that time again. Time to begin saying our goodbyes, packing up our possessions, and preparing ourselves for some time on the road.
I can’t speak for Chrysa, but the move out of Florida was tough for me. At the time we knew we were heading to the Midwest (although, we didn’t have an exact assignment), but we didn’t know much else. The usual questions all began to crystalize. Would we like our new house? Would I be able to find a job? Would we make friends easily? Normally these questions don’t even creep into my mind. We have been traveling long enough for me to trust in the system. I know that Chrysa and I can handle pretty much anything that comes our way. Still…we got off to a slow start in Florida, so I was nervous.
I don’t think I let it show though. As Chrysa says, it’s her job to get us a place to live, it’s my job to make living there easy. With that being said, I distracted myself by finishing up work at the café, and saying my goodbyes.
Leaving my job at the café was tough. In my short time there I feel I became part of the family, and part of the community as a whole. I seemed like the town in general was sad to see me go. I was determined to leave Palatka with a good impression of me, so I really poured on the charm. I started my slide into unemployment by crushing it at karaoke. I don’t want to give a full play by play, but Emma and I singing “Come a Little Bit Closer” and “Tik Tok” might just go down as legendary in Palatka. I also bantered with the regulars while cooking some pretty good food. My last few days were during the Blue Crab Festival and we had some pretty good rushes.
The last day at the café was just plain fun. After we closed the whole crew sat around, bought each other rounds of beers, and shot the breeze. Honestly, it was one of the most fun times I’ve had at work since we started traveling. I wish all of them the best and will miss them terribly.
After all the farewells had been said, it was time to get down to business. In rapid succession I got the Jeep in and out of the shop (preventative/ life extending measures), got the trailer in and out of the shop (new parts to make our life easier), and packed the bins.
It was a dark and stormy night when I packed the trailer. It was also Chrysa’s last night of work. I was concerned that the storms foretold a difficult journey the next day. Thankfully my fears were unfounded. Chrysa and I departed on time (for a change) and had smooth driving for the six hour trip to Eatonton, GA.
Chrysa had set her start date at her next assignment as June 19th. As we didn’t actually have a next assignment our plan was to bunk at my mom’s new house, visit with family, enjoy the country club lifestyle for a few days, and hopefully zero in on a position for Chrysa. We also decided to use moms place as a staging point for our plans to sell off our storage unit in Raleigh. But…more on that in the next post.
Thankfully mom was onboard with our plan. I thought our moving in with her, parking our trailer in her garage, and eating her out of house and home was a terrible imposition. She said it was no imposition at all. She liked that we were around and liked that we liked her place. In fact, she enjoyed repeating the phrase that Chrysa kept saying, “we’re homeless, unemployed, and living with my mother in law.” I’m glad she got a chuckle out of it.
We felt welcomed from the moment we arrived, which happened to be our anniversary. After settling in we headed over to the Bone Island Grillhouse. Chrysa and I were absolutely stunned when we found out they comp’d our meal. Chrysa loved this place before, now…absolutely top tier!
This first phase of the relocation was all about rest, relaxation, and visiting with family. Mission accomplished on all fronts. While we were at moms we woke up late, had cocktails poolside, and ate great food. I’m happy to report that we did make use of the country club gym. We also ran a bunch. We had to keep things tight if we were going to be spending more time poolside.
And spend more time poolside we did. We also checked out a local brewery, where I danced with my mom. The trip to Georgia wouldn’t have been complete without visiting with my family. It was great to see my aunt and uncle and especially my grandmother. In her late 80’s she made the brave and bold decision to move from Buffalo to Georgia. She is in a very nice retirement home and is thriving. In fact, she is about to turn 90. Happy B-Day grandma.
It was at dinner with grandma that we finally got the news of Chrysa’s next position. She would be working in Hannibal, Missouri. We were heading back to the mid-west. But first, a planned side trip to Raleigh, NC. We had a storage unit to sell off. Now that should be an adventure!
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