One Year of Changes

Attempt number 2 - a kitten walked onto my keyboard and deleted everything I had written so far. I should know better to save as I go. Lesson learned … again.

Facebook is so good at showing us memories from past posts. Some are happy, some sad, some are milestones, some are events that you have forgotten about and some are with friends you have had for some time. Starting last month, mid - July, Facebook has been so full of memories of this last year. It is hard to believe it has been a year since we drove out of Bothell, WA for the last time. A place we have called home for over 25 years. Mid-July last year we needed to be out of our house completely by the first of August to put it up on the market. What a whirlwind that was.

Movers packing up the house - 7/17/2023

Sitting in an empty daughters bedroom was so tough as we watched movers pack the truck with all of belongings.

When the moving truck arrived at our house to pack up what we were taking with us was a very hard day for all of us. It was so hard to see our things leave the house that we have lived in for so long. Both girls only knew this house, this was there safe place and it was our home. As the movers packed the truck with all of our boxes we sat in empty rooms watching them. At the end of the day, we set up camping chair in our living room and just sat. We let our two cats and the rabbit out of their carries to roam the empty rooms. The only things were left, were the things we were packing in our car or the RV. Wow the house was not ours anymore and reality set in. (Our youngest daughter went as far as taking her door off her bedroom and putting it on the moving truck - it was a very sentimental door to her - we also replaced the door with a not so obvious door in the house (sorry new owners if you are reading this.)).

Our messy living room after movers leave.

The next couple of weeks were full of stress and chaos. We needed to get out of the house fully so carpet cleaners and cleaners could come in and get the house prepped for house photo day. We were having problems with getting our RV back in time because there were parts they were waiting on. Our best bet solution was to move all of us downstairs because they were not cleaning the carpets downstairs and I had decided if the cleaners could clean the upstairs, I could very easily clean the down stairs myself since it was a much smaller area with only one bathroom. We packed everything up and downstairs we go and we made a makeshift kitchen in the garage as we waited for the RV to be completed.

Finally RV arrives home and it is frantic time to get the RV pack, downstairs cleaned out, last minute dump runs, pets packed, down stairs cleaned, last minute painting done. Finally we are officially out of the house. Last night was spend in the RV in the driveway and we were going to leave the next morning. Realtor was coming the next day to do last minute clean ups and stage the house because the photo day was the next day. As we get up the next day, stow everything and get the pets in their crates and in the car, we go to pull in the slide out on the RV, it does not budge. What the heck… We sat for hours trouble shooting the slide out along with many calls to the RV repair service. Non of us could figure out why the slide out would not come in. As the realtor shows up to do their last minute things, there we sit in the driveway in our camping chairs. They went about their business as we tried to get the slide out in - we keep emptying the storage areas in the slide out and stuff was scatted everywhere inside and outside. What a let down especially after we went through so much work getting the RV organized so we could live it in for who know how long. It was heartbreaking. Finally right around early evening low and behold the slide out comes in.

Trouble shooting the slide out and why it won't come slide in.

We stayed one more night in our driveway and the next day were going to take off…this time for sure. The new motto for the trip ahead was “no one touch the slide out until we get to Northern Michigan”. Oh boy. By the way, that night after the realtors left, non of us wanted to see the house stage but yet we all wanted too. Curiosity got the best of us…oh that was hard to see the house so clean and staged for a new family. That night we all went to bed saying nothing because tomorrow was the last day here in Bothell WA. Morning came and we went through the whole routine as the morning before getting all things stowed, pets in their carriers and last minute run around the RV and car to make sure everything was in working order. One does not make this stuff up…sure enough a big old bolt in one of the tires of the RV and they were brand new tires. First stop was the local Les Schwab to get tire fixed. 2 hours later, we are finally on the road and leaving our home town for 26 years, it was a very sad moment for all of us.

The most beautiful bolt in our brand new RV tires and we hadn't even gone anywhere yet.

Where are we going? What are we going to do? Non of us had the answer but we all knew that it was not possible for us to stay in Bothell any longer. The idea was that we were going to move into the RV until we decided what our next steps were going to be. First destination was to head to my parents house in Northern Michigan to chill out and see what happened next. In all of our minds we were all prepared to spend the whole winter in the RV until we knew what was going to happen next in our lives.

Our two cats that joined us on this crazy adventure - orange cat is Tang and Torti is Flicker.

Our last pet traveler is Oreo - our daughter pet rabbit.  She was the best traveler and loved the RV living.

This is what Facebook has thrown my way for memories for the last few weeks. Its hard to believe that #1 it has been a year, #2 that we are no longer in WA and #3 we still have all of our household items in storage units in Northern Michigan. Sigh. We miss all of you in the PNW, so glad we are closer to family and friends and we have had quite a year that would never have been possible. More stories to come as the random thoughts come into my head or as Facebook memories reminds me.

Love you all.