We're moving tomorrow

As I write this, Rob is actually on his way back from U-Haul getting the trailer that is going to take us out of this town! I have written my last work e-mail for five days (sort of). Our apartment is very nearly packed and cleaned. We are doing our walk-through with our landlord tomorrow at 9 a.m., so we have to be done by then.

It is going to be a really long night, but it has been an amazing week. I've always been grateful for my wonderful friends, but leaving LA has really shown me how much they mean to me. If a good going-away is supposed to make you not want to leave and come back soon for visits, then bravo ladies and gentlemen. You've given me the best going-away imaginable. At some point though, you just have to trust that you love each other enough to be family, and you don't need to be in the same city or even the same state to mean the world to one another.

The plan for the move is this: We spend the entire night packing the trailer and cars, eating sushi and drinking champagne. Then early tomorrow morning, we finish the packing, vacuum, scrub and do our walk through. Then at 9 a.m. we hit the road to Visalia. We'll spend Wednesday night and all day Thursday in Visalia to eat our last family meals and tie up loose ends. Then Friday morning we're make our way up to Portland with my parents in tow. My mom will ride with me and my dad will ride with Rob.

Driving up with my parents is going to be such a huge relief. I was really worried about my emotional stability on the drive, so this will make the transition a lot easier. Hopefully Rob and I get some good alone time in as well so we can let this all sink in. We made each other playlists as an homage to the early years of our relationship. I can't wait till he hears the songs I picked out.

OK. Back to packing!

PIVOT!

Just couldn't help but share this video since it is the perfect representation of our evening last night moving the couch out of our apartment at 11 p.m. Except, imagine this scene with just two people and a scorching hot hallway.

The Countdown Begins -- With a BBQ Hot Dog

The one more week in Los Angeles countdown begins today! This time seven days from now, Rob and I will be towing a Uhaul. So, I celebrated by crossing a visit to Pink's off of my LA-To-Do list with my dear friend Wilko (pronounced VIL-KO, he's German).

For those of you who aren't familiar, Pink's has been an LA landmark since 1939. It is a family-owned hot dog stand known for having decadent toppings and the best chili dogs in the world. Wilko and I had a fantastic time. You really need to have good company when you go to Pink's because the line is generally insane (even on a Wednesday night) and takes 30 minutes to get through even on a good night.

I got my favorite: the Lord of the Rings Dog covered in onion rings and BBQ sauce and a grape soda. Wilko got something with bacon and a Bubble Up, which I made fun of him for. AND we shared the amazing nacho cheese chili french fries. You'll have to excuse any typos since I'm writing this blog still in a food haze.

Did I mention that Pink's might not be the best place to go on a first date. Unless, you're dating Wilko. I mean, how hot is that?

"Don't make me look fat..."

Mother-Daughter Bending

This week has been CR-AZY and I'll be posting a recap of all that has been going on (lease signing, MW2 Event, 4-hour trip to Seattle, best friend visiting from Italy, Rob's mom visiting for the weekend, Zoe's birthday and a wedding! -- Ok, maybe I did just recap it) shortly.

However, I did want to quickly post about some fabulous mother-daughter bonding that took place last weekend. My mother, top-notch lawyer and fit Yoga queen, treated me to a one-on-two Yoga session last weekend, and I LOVED it. Normally, I complain that Yoga is not enough of a workout and doesn't make me sweat. But I was wrong! After just an hour, I was exhausted and sore, and my legs were shaking (which is saying something since I'm a runner).

Anyway, just wanted to recommend Valley Yoga to anyone in good old V-town. Brenda is amazing and has made me a total convert. Not to mention, spending the time with mom was great. I'm a firm believer that the family that sweats together, stays together.

Home Sweet Home!

After a couple months of parental anxiety, Rob and I finally locked down our apartment in Portland. Well, we submitted our applications and will be putting down a deposit early next week as long as there aren't any problems. Since we're ideal renters, everything should be A-OK.

I don't want to give away too much information for all the Internet creepies out there, but we'll be in a 2 bed 2 bath for half of what we're paying now with a washer/dryer and patio! It is like another universe up north. Also, the complex has a fitness center, a spa, a pool, tennis courts -- I can't wait!

Check out our unbelievable floor plan!!

Finally, Robert will have a place for all of the stuff I vetoed when we moved into our current 1 bedroom. And think of all the storage space! Now we just need to get all our stuff up there.

Cross your fingers for us that everything goes alright with the background check.

Packing Shenanigans

I know I mentioned it earlier, but moving out of my parent's house -- officially -- has been an incredibly surreal experience. It is strange because I've been out of my parent's house (give or take) for the past 6 or 7 years now, but I have always used the garage/closets/attic as storage unit for all the things I just didn't have room for. Now, I'm being forced to take a good hard look at all the things I've been saving for years and deciding what I really want to keep.

Some of my favorite pack rack discoveries include: My 6th grade portfolio, which provided endlessly entertaining reading material ("I like that I am intelligence..."), my hair piece from my senior year musical, which looked like a dead animal and scared me half to death, old love letters and cards (we're talking from the 8th grade here -- hilarious), and a VHS copy of my performance in "Sleeping Beauty." If I had a VHS player, I'd be watching it right now.

We moved all of this, plus our Christmas decorations, books, dishes, CDs, etc. last weekend and filled up Robert's truck. That was just stuff we were moving BACK to LA!! I wish I had taken pictures.

Even though we don't have a place to live yet, which freaks my parents out to no end, we have already started packing. How did all of our stuff automatically double?

Packing Strategy

Even though we still haven't signed a lease, Rob and I started developing our packing strategy tonight on our date. It took some convincing, but I'm now frighteningly aware of how much STUFF we have. Since we have a truck, we have the option to tow a trailer, which is a big relief. But it is looking like nothing that costs less than $600 will have enough room and be able to protect our furniture from inevitable rain.

There were a few bright moments when we thought we could use this newfangled POD technology to move our belongings with little effort and stress -- but the quote was $1600+!!

We've mutually agreed not to buy any more things before the move, but I'm not sure it is going to be enough. Photos of packing shenanigans will be forthcoming.