Movin' right along in search of good times and good news, with good friends you can't lose!

The trip, day one  Well, we've finally hit the road. A little bit of dramatic background to this journey before we begin, and the answers to a few persistent questions.  We are leaving now on monday,April 23rd of 2012, after a week of packing for Cam, Sarah and Michael, and a week of visiting my family for me. How did I land such a sweet packing avoidance deal? By having a horrific gall bladder attack that took me out of my own going away party right into the emergency room around march 25. They removed the offending organ, which bought me a week in the hospital and scared everyone a bit. So after a week and a half of recovery during which time I was stoned on the couch thanks to copious amounts of percocet and gravol and subsequently missed out on Easter, it was determined that I should make up for lost time by taking the train down to visit my family a week early. Also, I wasn't allowed to lift anything and I was still high as a kite, so I was entirely useless for all packing intents and purposes.  So while I enjoyed a week in the lap of familial luxury getting healed and sober,Michael Sarah and Cam had a fairly hellish week of packing a 3 story house and garage in 3 days, on top of visiting everyone who needed visiting,doing our taxes, and laying in the Paylor SR new basement floor. They said their final goodbyes Saturday around 2, and joined me in Vicksburg for family dinner at 7:30. Sunday the 22nd was an enormous potluck party featuring a house full of friends and family, reminding me just how blessed we are in the people who love us (and with friends and family who happen to be wonderful cooks). That's now my goal for our little family in the West- to build for ourselves out there a wonderful network of friends and family like we have in Vicksburg, to share our joys and celebrate life. Preferably ones who are also excellent cooks, though we will accept those with good taste in wine as well ;).  The questions that everyone asks, abridged. Who are Cam and Sarah? they are our family. Cam started out as our tenant in the apartment above our house in London almost three years ago. ABout six months after he moved in, we asked him if he wanted to be in a play. Now he's an actor, and our brother.  Sarah I met this summer when she worked with me at the palace theatre. She was so cool, we invited her to live with us. Now, we can't imagine life without her. Who are Cam and Sarah? They are the people who make us happy. The four of us balance and support each of the others personalities, and I love being the four of us. Michael and I are still very happy as the two of us, but life gets lonely just staring at each other night after night playing gin rummy. Now we can play way more board games with 4 of us. Where are you going, exactly? We are moving into a 5 bedroom farm house that we are renting on the outskirts of a small town called Duncan, on Vancouver island. It's about 45 minutes north of Victoria. I'll post pictures in the morning, when I figure this blog business out better. We did not sell our house in London, instead we are renting it through a property management company, which works out better in the long run. If we don't like it out there, we can just come back. Why are you going there? There are some wonderful opportunities available to us out there, we've always wanted to, we were unhappy in London and we don't have kids (yet) so nows the time. Do you already have jobs? No, but we do have some excellent prospects in our fields, and we have saved a substantial nest egg as a just in case. We're young and smart enough to still be alive this far into the 21st century, we'll be fine. You're crazy, did you know that? Yes, we're keenly aware. Why do you think we're moving? This morning we thanked my parents and sister for their hospitality, packed up the cats and the car, and said our goodbyes. On Saturday I came home from running some errands, and found myself crying uncontrollably in the driveway. My father said "oh honey, why are you crying?" to which I gave a very wet sounding laugh and said " oh daddy, I don't know". But we did knows, both of us, that I was finally accepting that my leaving was real. My family is my heart, and to leave them this morning in the spring sunshine under the flowering trees, my last memory of them before I leave tinged the soft green of pre-summer and a sky the soft blue of mid morning, was one of the hardest moments I have endured. I kissed them both through the open car window, and watched them as long as I could until they disappeared around the corner of the library, and I started to cry.  And as I did, three hands reached over to take my hand and my shoulders, and comfort me as I left the town and the people I love so much. Three strong and supportive hands that will be my link to all the things I hold dear, hands full of friendship and loyalty and love. And that's when I knew that it was going to be all right.  Mom, dad, dani, poppa, Alex, dascha, sela,Joan- all of the others that flash in my minds eye when I think of home and safety and love- we are on our way. We are together, we are with you, we are traveling into the new unknown to seek out the others like us, and to teach loyalty, friendship, love, to those who don't know them yet. You have given us the strength to do this.  And auntie jan- I will enjoy myself.