Getting ready to go

Look what I found in the dirty clothes pile! Good thing I didn't just toss all the sheets straight into the washing machine. This picture is not really related to this post, except that the reason I was washing the sheets is because they've been sold and it's nicer to give folks clean sheets than dirty ones if they are paying for them.

We're eight days out from departure, and over five weeks out from arrival, and something like three months out from feeling vaguely settled and at home. We are both feeling like we'd just kind of like to skip the next chunk of our lives and somehow wake up and find ourselves magically transported to May or so, all moved in and feeling adjusted. But, since that isn't too likely to happen, we're doing the work of sorting, selling, distributing, sorting, finding more stuff to sell and distribute, and, of course, packing, and preparing ourselves for the idea that we're going to have to unpack and repack and unpack and repack and move again and again and pack again for around that many times. I mean, moving all by itself is difficult enough, but when it's the kind of move where you have to get rid of 90% of your possessions, figure out how to pack all the rest into airline-limited luggage, travel around the world, and then do a big cross-country move after that, it just gets a little crazy.

A different aspect of getting ready to go is the relational side of things - it's not completely about the stuff. Yesterday we traveled out to a village to have a farewell day with a pastor and his family, and tomorrow we're headed to a different village to have a farewell day with my honorary Tanzanian parents. It's culturally impossible to have a proper good-bye last less than six hours, because you need to eat twice - mid-morning snack and a big, late lunch - and have a little ceremony with speeches. We've gotten quite used to the routine and will feel a little unsettled when things don't work quite that way in the States and people only feed you one meal per visit (just kidding).

So, we're down to only a few meals left in our own home, a few more sleeps, and then this adventure will really begin!