Last week, I finished the massive task of sanding and staining all of the wood for our timber frame cottage. Meanwhile, Tyler completed a major work project that will hopefully pay for the cost of the gravel driveway we'll be putting on our land. After finishing our respective jobs, Tyler worked with Paul to fix up our truck, and I packed non-stop, busily readying us for our trip across the country. We're moving to Vermont, and this time, it's for keeps!
As the days flew by with last-minute preparations, I marveled at how much stuff we managed to accumulate since returning from our bike trip. I thought we brought most of it with us when we went to Vermont this past winter, but the things to deal with just kept on coming. Miraculously, we were able to fit nearly everything into our little silver Honda Civic, and in the bed of our truck.
Amid the packing, there were visits with friends and family. Once more, we were struck by the gravity of what was happening: we were moving across the country, leaving loved ones behind. There were some tears, many hugs, and an anxious voice in my head that said "we're leaving too many wonderful people behind!"
This morning, as snow fell heavily, Tyler and I embarked on the first leg of our journey to Vermont: a nine hour drive to see my family and our friends in Illinois. In a parade of vehicles including our truck, car, motorcycle, two bicycles, and a sixteen-foot trailer hauling all of our timbers, we made our way south and east.
In Wisconsin, the snow turned to rain which pelted our windshields all the way to Illinois. Once home, we were welcomed with open arms by my parents. Though it was pouring, they stood in the rain and directed our giant truck and trailer into safe parking places. Then, we all pushed the dripping trailer into the garage, cleaned up the pools of water that had accumulated the folds of the tarp, and headed inside for supper and rest.
Just before bed, we checked on our timbers again, as I was convinced they were sitting in pools of water. Having just spent two months working on them, I wasn't about to take that chance. And so, we unwrapped the tarp completely and discovered that my fears were founded.
With giant sighs, at 1:00AM, Tyler and I wearily unloaded each heavy timber from the trailer, shaking our heads at the fact that we had just packed them so carefully the day before. When at last each timber was wiped down, we headed to bed.
Now, it's time for two weeks of rest and family time before we finish our drive to Vermont!