We live here now

I may be exhausted, but that's what happens when that big whoosh of relief sweeps over you. I went to bed at 9 last night and finally pulled myself up at 8 this morning when the phone rang. That's it. We're done. No more moving. No more hauling. No more driving. And, for the moment, Jere and I live together again.

Monday afternoon I drove up to our hotel so we could finish up with everything on Tuesday. I spent the whole drive listening to Irish music, thinking how much the fields in Virginia resemble County Clare. By the time I got to Springfield, I wanted Guinness and chips so badly! Jere asked what I wanted for dinner, and I said Irish food. So we went to a little Irish pub across the street from us, and I had my Guinness, and fish and chips. And we talked about Ireland and other places we'd been in the past, and caught up after our two weeks apart.

Of course, with nothing better to do, we went to Best Buy and Borders, then out for dessert at Friday's. I went back to the hotel full of Irish food, Irish beer, and Irish coffee. That's happiness right there.

Yesterday, Jere got up early, I finished loading the car, turned in my room key, and met the office for lunch. I love that group of people, I really do. I will have to bake them some cookies this week. I'd forgotten one of Jere's coworkers went to Trinity College, and told me all the places I should go next time I'm in Ireland. And I told him I'd send him back some pictures of Peru, as his girlfriend would like to go.

Jere then had to go finish some paperwork, so I went to the movies and saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Pretty funny movie! A little bit of frightening full-frontal. But I had my popcorn, soda, and a good laugh. I'd forgotten how fun it is to go to the movies by myself.

And then we drove home, had some of Monique's meatballs from my last care package (*sniffle* I'll have to learn to make them myself now!), and I passed out cold. Because the moving is OVER! That does not mean there isn't junk piled up around the apartment. It just means I don't have to drive it all here anymore. It's all here. Minus one box that has gone missing and I believe is still somewhere in my mother-in-law's basement. My whisks and a vase have gone missing. Hm.

So it's back to my morning routine for a week. Minus the part where I feed the cat. Jere does that and she seems to like that better.

Today's lesson: Love, hope, anger, fear, happiness. Some of the most powerful feelings we can experience. But I've learned now that probably the most underrated feeling is relief.

Deep breath in......and let it all out.