Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Forever….

YESTERDAY

Yesterday we packed as many belongings as we could into our alotted bags, sold the Jeep, and we said “until next time” to family and friends. There may have been a few tears.

TODAY

Today we will kiss and cuddle the cats, load the bags into my parents’ car, prepare the rooms for Mr. R and Miss B’s arrival, say more goodbyes and board the plane that will launch us into our new adventures. I’m guessing there will be a few more tears today too.

TOMORROW

Tomorrow will come early for us as we travel through several time zones. The lists will have been checked off, the planning, planning and more planning will have come to fruition. We’ll breathe a deep sigh of relief and greet the day with a “buenos dias!”

FOREVER

Forever…well, this remains to be seen, but I’m fairly certain these next seven months will change us – as individuals and as a family.

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Goonies. I think the kids now share my affinity for it as well (or at least put up with one of mom’s old movies). Anyway, there’s a line that has stuck out to me the last few months and as I tucked Miss A in last night we talked about it. It seems fitting.

In the movie, the Goonies come to a crossroads and Mikey makes an inspiring plea, “Don’t you realize? The next time you see sky, it’ll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it’ll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what’s right for them. Because it’s their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it’s our time. It’s our time down here.”

While in context the quote isn’t really fitting, it’s what has been popping in my head over and over. “It’s our time.”

I asked Miss A if she remembered when Mikey makes the little speech and talks about it being “their time up there.” She beamed with a little twinkle in her eye and said, “Yes, and this is our time.”

Sometimes the kids are wise beyond their years.

Then there were our horoscopes for this year, which we don’t put much stock in, but these were rather appropo. Mike’s said:

“When you send your inner control freak on sabbatical, you’ll become the Magellan of The Miraculous. Passport, please! Jet-setting Jupiter is circling through….Go explore new vistas, sign up for retreats and open your mind to people from different backgrounds than your own.”

And mine:

“…a time for soul-searching and surrender. Forget forcing an agenda for the future. Instead, make your motto, “be here now.” Signs, serendipities and miracles pop up at every turn….Keep that iPhone tucked in your bag for a while.”

Miss A’s horoscope for the year said:

“You could find yourself at the center of the action, organizing, gathering and playing entertainment director for your coterie.” (No doubt.)

But Mr. N’s was our favorite:

“The question is: Where will you hang your wide-brimmed fedora next? Globetrotting Jupiter could point you to a new postal code or a yearlong position overseas….Don’t rule out the long-distance route if you find your amour in a far-flung place.” (We like to tease him that he’ll find his first crush overseas, to which he tell us – while blushing – to shut up.)

Well, whatever this year may bring, today is the day. While the journey really began years ago, there is no question this is a turning point. We’re about to embark on something that still feels very surreal. Everything about what comes next is unknown. We’re scared. We’re nervous and we’re even a bit sad. But the excitement – well, it’s palpable.

 

We’ve been talking a lot these last few weeks and days about our hopes, expectations and fears. Here are a few we thought we would note, as they’ll be fun to look back on from the other side:

Hopes:

We hope we’ll be safe, healthy, grow together, make lifelong memories, see amazing things, make new friends and connections around the world, immerse ourselves in other cultures, grow beyond our own boundaries, do a little soul searching, have some long thinks, learn new languages, and of course find some amazing food and wine!

Expectations:

Mostly we want to remain open to anything that comes our way, with few expectations. That said, naturally we have a few. We expect to experience highs and lows, find adventure, have some challenges, struggle with languages, have frustrations, have a-ha moments, make compromises, experience homesickness, have new places become part of our souls, and come back at least a little bit changed.

 

Fears:

While we don’t like to dwell on these – we do have them. As parents we have them everyday. They’re the same we have here at home, only perhaps a little more compounded. That said, we’re not going to give them space here because we also recognize that fears and challenges can be overcome – they can even be opportunities.

And now it’s time…we’ll see you from the other side of the pond. And for those of you that want to follow along our adventures, we’ll be posting regularly to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. #EatPlayWorld

Hasta luego!