The next move.

It's time to share my family's next move with you, dear readers. We are moving to Henderson, Nevada. Short version is that I got a job with a nonprofit services company based there and I start work on Weds. That's right - just a few days from now. Our house in Richfield has been on the market for 2 weeks. The 2 weeks before that were chaotic with projects and preparations for getting the house ready to sell. The garage is filling up with boxes and bins. And I am writing this post in a hotel room alongside I-80 in North Platte, NE. I left Minnesota today. Anthony and Fiona will follow me when the time is right. For the next 3 weeks my mom is with them to help with the transition. That's the short version.

I don't yet know how to write the long version. But you can believe it's full of emotions, to-do lists, and difficult decisions. It has been a whirlwind of a month since I accepted the job. So....I drove 640 miles today. I cried before I even got to the river just a few miles from the house. But then I saw a gaggle of geese flying south alongside the highway and I felt reassured that I was headed in the right direction. I am confident this is going to be good move for me and my family. It's just incredibly hard to leave.

As I drove south and then west I watched Fall go in reverse. There are still some gorgeous colors in western Iowa (which is much more hilly than I thought it would be) and eastern Nebraska. I drove by signs pointing to Nevada, IA and Henderson, NE. As I entered Nebraska it started to rain but soon I could see the back end of the front and made it through to the sunny side. Once you get west of Lincoln, the highway speed goes up to 75.....and just when you get excited about setting that cruise control there's one construction zone after another.....one stretch was the longest 9 miles of the day. I was behind a horse trailer those 9 miles. Nine. Miles.

High points: I played Monopoly at McDonalds for lunch and won a free breakfast sandwich. I had a surprisingly good dinner at Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant in North Platte tonight. And I saw license plates (excluding semis) from MN, WI, IA, MI, IL, NE, OR, MO, FL, CA, UT, CO, NJ, SD, and Ontario. I think it's a requirement that you spot an Ontario plate on a road trip in the U.S. I swear - every time there's someone from Ontario on the road.

Oh, and I saw some swans, shaggy ponies, and llamas....I think they were llamas.

Tomorrow I hope to make it to Salina, Utah. For now....I crash.