It’s getting real. This is definitely happening. The countdown has officially begun!
I’ve handed in my resignation; notified my landlord of my departure (tonight. It was very hard to voluntarily give this place up. I love where I live), bought plane tickets, and circled November 21st on my calendar. That is the day I will leave Seattle and embark on a A Great Journey.
Fifty nights remain for me to…
- put the finishing touches on the plan for the first stage of my trip. More like an outline, really, because, while I have a route in mind, I want the flexibility to go wherever the journey takes me.
- buy a few more necessities for the trip. Oregon (hello, 10% discount) & Amazon, I’m coming for you!
- Close or update my address on accounts, end mail subscriptions, freeze my credit, and figure out cell phone situation, because ain’t nobody got time to pay T-mobile $60 monthly with 0 monthly income.
- sell my possessions, downsize as much as I can, and make sure everything I own will fit neatly (or not so neatly; I foresee some real-life Tetris) into my VW Rabbit, which I will drive down to Vegas (unless I end up selling it up here, too).
- line up and complete all my health-related appointments, as I’ll be out of insurance soon.
- finish the spreadsheets on which I’ll be tracking data from the trip (daily spend vs. budget, mostly).
- get a will sorted out. I don’t own much or have heirs, but I want my family to know what to do with me and whatever dollars I have left, just in case a plane goes down, a bus rolls over, or a depressed/ troubled idiot decides to start shooting people somewhere I am at.
- get this website to a point where it’s good enough to share!
- enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery, sun, rain, and crisp bookends to the days.
- drink the incredible craft beer here! Chuck’s ftw!
- soak up a little more of Capitol Hill and Fremont, my favorite neighborhoods in Seattle.
- spend time with friends and colleagues I will not see for what could be a long time.
- hit the stadiums around here and show some love to the Timbers, Sounders, Seahawks, and RSL (and maybe the Oregon Ducks).
- hang out on my dock, jump into a constantly-cooling Lake Washington, or light up the fireplace in the apartment, depending on the weather.
- Close out strong at work and help make it as smooth a departure as possible.
- write thank you notes. I’m old school like that.
Fifty nights.
I’m trying to wrap my head around that, and live in the moment, while planning for my trip.
Fifty nights.
Not a lot of time do get everything above done. Thankful for Any.do.
Fifty nights.
Crazy. Excited.