Good-byes are Hard

So Many Good-Byes

When you move anywhere there are a lot of good-byes that need to be said. Good-bye to your home, your neighbors, maybe some friends, belongings, or routines. This move is a bit different.

We are saying good-bye to all of those things and so much more. When we had decided to move from our home originally, we were going to stay local, so the kids would still have all of their normal routines, just a different place to call home. But this good-bye meant saying so long to everything. Including a lot of our creature comforts. Our beds, our stuffed animals, our kitchens supplies, our couches, our books; nearly everything. We said good-bye to friends, to family, to theatre groups, to neighbors, to footbag clubs, to art classes, to the city we have loved calling home, and will eventually say good-bye to our country.

There was an added good-bye we weren’t quite expecting; our beloved dog Jack.

Jack Strauss

We rescued Jack 10 years ago from a shelter in the Bay Area. He was a quirky, nervous guy, but he loved me and he loved our kids (not so much Marc). He was a sweet, shy, and loyal boy.

Over the past year his health started to decline and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Three days before moving day, we all recognized it was time to let him go. This was an especially hard good-bye.

He has been such a great dog, and will be missed so much. We all have great comfort in knowing he isn’t suffering anymore and had a good life.

Friends

We made some spectacular lifelong friends in the Portland area. Our neighbors, Theatre friends, and Footbagging buddies will be missed the most. We plan on staying in contact with everyone using FaceTime. Marc has even begrudgingly decided to get an iPhone for this purpose. This blog will be where you can get updates on our travels.