Moving, sigh...

According to those crazy lists of stressful things, moving is the 3rd highest ranking event on the Most Stressful category only preceded by Divorce and Bereavement. Which intrigues me, because I feel like I might be on the road to divorce through the process and I am certainly mourning the loss of the friends, routines, rituals, comforts we are leaving behind….

Our to-do list for this trip keeps growing rather than diminishing. We are missing paperwork needed for shipping the car, which is a vital part of the move – as I NEED wheels. We just realized that both of the kids need new running shoes – as in they don’t have any, and the thought of going to Dick’s and shopping for them is enough, on its own, to make me feel crazy. We have last minute appointments and tasks to fulfill, like getting our malaria prophylaxis. Our flights require an overnight stop in a country that requires visas for each of us, which we don’t have…… and all I really want to do is sit down with my BFF’s and have a cup of coffee, maybe a pastry and pretend none of this is happening.

We are living in a hotel, which sounds glamorous to some, sounds restful to others – but what it means to me is that I can hear every disagreement the kids have regarding bathroom usage and which one is controlling the remote control, and have monotonous and tedious conversations regarding what point we will use the swimming pool. It also means that feeding everyone has become tricky, particularly since we have been in various stages of moving chaos since July 15. I am so done with any fast food establishment and I am the only one in the family that thinks a bowl of soup from Panera is a fabulous meal.

As I write this, I am not complaining, I am just thinking that someday I am going to write a manual – one that dictates how we can lift each other up through these processes, when we are truly the cornerstone of the family foundation. Our children are looking at EJ and me to set the tone through this move and while I am feeling more “needy” they are, too. The move has become a cycle of meeting one need and being faced with the other. Putting on my happy face and going forward each day, business as usual, has taken on a new meaning. This is really no different than every day parenting, the intensity has just been amped.

I am ready for that skinny double vodka mocchachino, with whipped! Who wants to join me?