Downsizing

So, here I am in June, trying to determine which things to take, which to store, which to throw away, and which to donate.
Nearly all of the furniture has been sold, and I am down to just a few boxes to sort through. The recent rains and subsequent floods here in Iowa have changed my plans a bit: Instead of storing things here, I now realize that flood threats are all too real, so I remove my stored boxes ahead of the rising floodwaters, but must leave some that I hope will be able to be dried and re-packed next week, and plan for shipment to Maine where we have land along the coast, site of our eventual home base in the States. The manager of the storage company near there says no worries—In that wonderful Downeast accent: “Theh’s always spots available heah. Just stop by.” So, moving companies are being contacted for estimates…what I have is far less than the minimum, but I have to move them out east. One more thing to worry about.

Meanwhile, my visa has arrived, I prepare the papers I need to take, and fret over the right amount of clothes and educational materials needed, which spill far over the two large bags I’m taking, or had planned to take. The dilemma: Send the extra by mail, or take a third bag and pay far less than postage for the excess? I decide on sending them, simply because I don’t want to struggle with the third bag. The good news: The school will reimburse me for most of the shipping. The bad news: Most of that allowance has been taken by sending our dog and cat ahead to Kat a month ago. They came through the ordeal fine, for which we are extremely grateful, and seem to be adjusting once again to living in a new place. This is their third trip overseas—amazingly resilient beings.