The last day of driving was interesting: eastern Washington is so open and undeveloped, and then driving along the Columbia River after crossing into Portland was dramatic and fun to look at. Somehow I avoided collisions and property damage as I navigated the city, and we even found our house--and parking--on the first try! We managed to get the car off the trailer (though it had a nearly-flat tire for some reason), disconnect the trailer from the truck (to unload the truck), then reconnect the trailer, and by Wednesday a.m. we'll be rid of the U-Haul for good. Phew!
The animals are getting settled, though they are residually anxious. They follow us around, but, if we stay in one room long enough, they fall asleep almost instantly. Peach is fascinated by the basement and the cupboards in the guest room. We explored a park this morning, and Mieko met his first Portland dog. I keep telling him that we live on the West Coast now, so he has to practice being laid-back and mellow. (Same goes for me, I guess!)
This morning we woke up in our own bed, looking at the flowers my colleague brought us, and I got up and ate a cookie she made for us, too. How wonderful it was to arrive here and to have reinforcements (colleague, her husband, their daughter) show up to help us unload the truck and just be happy to see us. How glad I am, too, for my two short trips to Portland, which made it feel less foreign upon arrival. And, no matter how new it is, being with Jamie and the animals makes every place home to me.
Tonight I'm tired but feeling brave, so I'm going out to a knitting group that meets Mondays in our part of Portland (North Portland). The sooner we meet people and have routines and things to do, the sooner we'll feel at home. Plus, I haven't knitted at all on the trip, and I think it would be good for me to get back to it, too.
Internet is connected, though we're typing on the floor. Still can't find the screws to put the bookshelves together, but we'll find them eventually. Just glad that we're here.
P.S. Thanks to everyone who followed our trip via the blog and kept sending heartening messages! It was so nice to check in at night and know that good thoughts were following us across the country. Good job with those good vibes: they really worked!
That's really nice that you've already made friends and contacts in Portland. And it's great that your getting into new routines and back into old ones. If it was me I'd probably just flop on the couch or bed and veg out there!
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved reading your daily updates - guess I was living vicariously through your adventure :)