2 Weeks and Counting

Henry and I leave two weeks from today. We just returned from a vacation in South Carolina, so now the real fun of organizing begins. I can't pack too much because we have packers coming, so I am just getting certain items together, cleaning out junk, etc. The actual packing crew comes on June 30th. On July 1st, they pack our storage unit, and on July 2nd they pack the furniture. From there we head to our new Chicago "home" (Joe and Melissa's house) until we leave. I do think it will be odd to be hanging out with no where to live, but the time will pass soon enough.

Under Contract

That's what our condo in Chicago is--under contract! I've been waiting to post about this until the inspection and attorney review period ended successfully. We got an offer on our place a week and two days after we listed it! After negotiating, we settled on a price and closing date. From here, our relocation company buys us out of the deal, so we're done with it. We are very happy to have sold the place ourselves, but it does bring us one step closer to life in Texas. I also keep thinking about the new soon-to-be owner of our place, and I am excited for him, but it is weird to think of someone else living in "our" house!

In other news, Andy is in Houston today because we close on our Houston house today! He did a walk-through this morning, and he'll go back tonight to check out the place. I sent him down with an "essentials" bag, but he may also make a trip to Target to help prepare for our arrival. I am so jealous that he is there without me, but soon enough I'll be there!

Last night my friend, Michelle, hosted a farewell dinner with a small group of my former co-workers. It was so nice to see everyone again, albeit bittersweet. I do miss teaching, but I think one thing I miss the most are my friends from school. (I certainly don't miss grading 125 essays!)
Here are a couple of shots from last night:

Letters to my Younger Self

It was eight years ago that I moved to Chicago. I packed up my things in Ann Arbor and arrived in the big city to "start my life." I had a job and a boyfriend and a cool apartment on Diversey. When I think about that time in my life, it seems all at once forever ago and just like yesterday. So cliche. But, so true. (Cliches exist for a reason, after all.) And so I have spent the last few days thinking of what I'd say to that girl, the one who bought all her furniture at Ikea and planted impatiens in the window boxes at that apartment on Diversey. What would I say if I knew there was a date when I'd be swept away from the city?

I don't know that I'd tell her anything, only because I feel my time in Chicago has been well-spent. On Saturday, I walked around that very first neighborhood, killing time before an appointment. I revelled in the graystones and wrought iron, materials so foreign to my suburban upbringing. The air was heavy with humidity and June rain. This is what I'll miss. I thought to myself.
I'm having a lot of those moments now, as I try to call it like it is, knowing it's something that can't be replicated. As Andy and Henry and I sat outside of our favorite diner, experiencing the accessories of our urban existence--bus exhaust mixing with coffee, a dog's barking melding with a blaring siren, it happened again. This is what I'll miss. I don't know why I'm doing this now, why I feel the need to consciously validate these snapshots of my life here. Maybe I was avoiding it before. (Such an activity is, after all, quite sad.) Maybe I want to find a way to hold on to that passing moment--to look across a table and freeze my 19-month-old son, the smile on Andy's face, the flavor of French toast and a great cup of coffee on my tongue--and know that, someday, my older self will be saying Look around, take it all in. Stop waiting because this is it, my friend.

Goodbye to the Bean

Here's Henry, bidding farewell to Cloud Gate (known as "the bean"). If you are ever in Chicago, I recommend a visit to Millennium Park to see the bean and all the park has to offer!

Plane Reservations Made!

Today I booked our flight to Houston from Chicago. By "our" I mean Henry and me. Andy and my dad are taking the great American road trip, with Kirby in tow. For those of you who don't know, my dad loves driving more than anyone I know. He should have been a cartographer because he really likes studying maps and working out routes. I am just relieved that I don't have to take a two-day trip with a toddler! The boys will get on the road in the morning of July 5th, stay in Memphis, and drive the rest of the way to Houston on the 6th. They will actually drive right to the Hobby Airport to pick us up, and then we'll drop my dad off at a lovely airport hotel and he'll fly out the next morning. No, he won't even see our new house. That is just how hard core he is: he's driving just to drive...not to actually "get" anywhere!

The packers and movers come June 30th to begin packing our stuff. On July 1, they'll finish and pick up the items in our storage unit. On July 2, they take the furniture. We'll be moving to Andy's cousin's house for a few nights since they'll be out of town. Having an actual "last night" on the books is hard for me. Even though I am excited to move to our new house, it will be weird to see our condo as it was when we moved in--empty and ready for a new person/couple/family to start filling it with memories.

Floor plan

I was able to find the floor plan for our new house! It's a bit of a newer version because we have a porch in the front rather than a courtyard, but here it is! Click on the image and it will get bigger.

On the Market

Our place here in Chicago went on the market on Wednesday. So far, we've had a good start with two showings. We were not expecting any due to the holiday weekend, so we were pleased! One of the two showings was a success; it was a young couple who spent quite a bit of time looking. Of course, who knows if anything will come of it. We hope traffic will really pick up next week. The challenge of having the house listed is keeping it constantly tidy, which is not easy to do with a toddler who likes to launch his broccoli overboard. But, it sure keeps me motivated to clean!

Our Memorial Day weekend is going to be relatively low-key. We are planning on doing something on our "Chicago List" because the weather is supposed to be very nice. It was 92 in Houston today, so I guess the heat has started there. I will take 92 over the winter we had any day of the week!