Moving Day

I've known for months that I was going to be moving to Birmingham. I've had July 18 circled on my calendar for months, but at the day got closer and closer the anxiety began to arise.

I had decided that in order to save money I would just rent a moving van and drive it over myself. Did you get that. I...the person who didn't even want to drive when she turned 16...would drive a moving van. Not just any moving van, might I add...a 16 FOOT MOVING VAN!! AHHH!!!

Sweet Katie gladly offered to take me to the rental place so that I wouldn't have to ride Marta. That was an adventure in itself. But we got there...and then I walked into the building. As they asked me if I wanted the insurance...ummm...YES and gave me the papers to inital and sign, I just kept thinking...I can't believe they are going to let me drive this thing. This thing was 16 feet, people...we're talking about half of a school bus!!!

It was great to have Katie there. She gave me a great pep talk...and she took some pictures. Probably won't be putting these in frames, but they will be good for the albums.

Somehow, I managed to get the van to my house and backed in. Answer to prayer. I was actually quite impresed with myself. My friendly neighbor Willie showed up at 4:00 on Friday afternoon to help me load the van. Another prayer answered...Willie was STRONG. He hoisted my dresser on his back and carried it outside like a kindergartner carrying a backpack.

I worried that night that I was going to wake up the next morning to an empty moving van, but I woke up on Saturday to see that everything was still in place. Yet another answered prayer.

I made it to Birmingham in pretty good time considering I was driving 60-65 mph. Did you know those big things don't have cruise control? I didn't like that one bit. Cruise and I are good friends.

I pulled up to the house and mom was already there. We started unloading all of the little stuff and geting all of it organized and then our helpful, strong and handy friends showed up to finish things up. Natalie, Scott, Austin and Dan were moving champs. They moved all of the big stuff and put up a ceiling fan in my room in record time. I'm so excited about having some guys that know how to do things near me!

The only thing left to do was fill up the van with gas and then take the van back. Yes, I had managed to back it into my driveway and drive it a hundred miles, but I wasn't too confident in my abilities to pull it into a gas station. Thankfully, Scott was confident in his abilities so he took care of that task for me.

While the helpers left to gas up and turn in the van, Mom and I stayed until it got dark organizing...only stopping for about 30 mintues to get some bed risers and lupper (that's what we call it when you eat lunch and supper in one meal) at Zoes.

We made the drive back to Atlanta that night and immediately crashed on the pallets that we had made. I'm roughing it for these last two weeks. It's kinda like camping, only you are living in a house with power. I don't really like it, but it will be over soon enough.

So...my stuff is gone. Now, I'm just waiting on the day to come for me to move my body. It's supposed to be happening July 31, but something has happened on the job front that may postpone that about a week. Either way, the big move is behind me and soon I will be living life in Birmingham...my emotions are all over the place, but overall I am super excited!