Simplicity, Self-Care, and Joy
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Next Step
Seems like there are way too many steps, and ours is actually a fairly simple move. Here is one of our pallets being loaded on the truck. We have two of these making their way across the country by truck, then eventually on to a ship to go across the Atlantic to be off-loaded and…
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Quick Guide to Immigration, Part One
Someone asked about whether immigration was hard and what it took. Was it hard? Well, it definitely was a big goal that took planning and persistence. There were stressful times and work, and I’m sure there are still some ahead! What did it take? We’ve been planning the move for 5 years; this was based on a…
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Do the Two Step
After much discussion, exhaustion, and juggling of priorities, we’ve agreed: We are heading to Portugal on July 4th. We’ve got the tickets. The rented apartment is waiting, empty, for us. And the toxicity of our country and state grows, seemingly every day. What we don’t have is our visa approval. Getting all the pieces in…
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Two Pallets
The stack of boxes and bins above is close to the footprint of one of the two pallets we are shipping to Portugal. Aside from what we take on the plane, the two pallets will hold all our belongings. So basically what you see in the picture, plus another layer of two bins. Then double…
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Sonic Boom 2
If selling the house was Mach 1, we’re there again for a second sonic boom. After several delays, our visa applications have been submitted to the Portuguese Embassy. We have the contract to lease an apartment in Porto, the financial paperwork, our 3 money orders, and the proper return labels FedExed off to the Portuguese…
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It Really Is Empty
This picture is from April 8, 2022. A month and a day ago now. We walked out of the house we sold for the last time. All of our stuff is in the AirBnB condo or the storage area. We looked out the back window and pondered the yard. All three of our dogs lived…
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A poll about kitchen storage
You know how frustrating it is when your Tupperware or Rubbermaid or other brand plastic kitchen containers don’t match up? So annoying. So about 2 years ago (guessing?) I bought some pyrex containers that all matched and were enough for our needs. And that was nice. But what was surprising was the sense of calm…
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My Last Day as a Homeowner
The closing on the house is this afternoon. I am going from a property owner to a renter, and most likely will be a renter for quite a while. We really don’t know. Our plan is to travel and enjoy Portugal and Europe now before we get too old and crickety. (Rickety? Creaky? Crotchety?) So…
Thoughts or Questions?