360 Days

I'm out! . . . of my office, that is. 360 days ago, I moved my boxes in to my Memphis office. Today, I moved the last ones out.

I could not have done it had it not been for Karol's help. She selflessly offered her help---and car--to assist in getting some of the larger boxes (and my office refrigerator) to my house. I was worried I'd have to wait until the weekend and enlist the help of a neighbor, but thanks to Karol, all's moved out now! (Keep in mind that Gretta's not exactly built for moving. The small book boxes, sure, a few at a time. And even some I did get in there would only go once the top was down.)

It was bittersweet, of course. A few colleagues took my to lunch yesterday and gave me a lovely gift. It was a nice lunch and a nice chance to say goodbye. And with visitors, as I've been, this is the way it goes---we just leave. Still, I said good-bye to Linda and left with a hug. And I was able to leave her one of Mom's plant pots. Linda loves plants, as do my mother and I. And Linda's pretty darned motherly. I know that Mom would want her to have one of her pots. (Sadly, I didn't have my ducks enough in a row to have taken the pot home and cleaned it up. instead, it went to her with a bit of a sad, weary little plant in it. But I'm sure Linda will put a good plant in there and it'll have a good home.)

As I packed everything up, of course, it felt like there was so much. But once I got it all home, seeing just the boxes out of the office, well, okay, there's still a lot there. Again, though, thanks to organization, it didn't look like that much while here in my office, and I know it won't once I get it to Jax.

Most of all, though, I love the idea that I feel like I'm moving into a new home with these boxes. With my household goods, I have in the back of my head the knowledge that I hope to buy a home there in the next twelve or eighteen months and thus have yet another move ahead of me before I'm totally "home." But my office, well, there, I hope to be there for a while.

And so, this chapter closes too. (well, I will drop by tomorrow to stop the payroll deduction for parking and clean off my computer.) It's been a good year and a wonderful stopping point on my journey. But I had gotten to where I as less productive at the office than I wanted, so it was time to finally get everything out.

Besides, I've technically got only two more business days left here without packer or movers. Whoa.

Still, it felt good to have that checked off the ever-growing to-do list. Okay, and admittedly, having packed my office, I've packed all that I have to pack for this move. The packers will take care of the rest here at the house. Indeed, that's a very nice thing.