On the Road

Our former apartment in New Jersey is now a pristine empty box, and the keys have been returned to the landlord. All our worldly possessions are either in transit to England or in our cars. Our dogs have been deposited with our friend Marilyn, and yes, I cried, despite the fact that they seemed perfectly happy to stay with her. And now, Dave and I are homeless!

Dave's parents came to New Jersey on Sunday evening, towing a trailer behind their SUV. We spent all day Monday loading up the remainder of our furniture and the small items that we either aren't moving overseas or that we need during the transition (like clothes). I thought after the movers came and went that we were down to almost nothing, but when it came time to pack it all up, the stuff just kept multiplying! We filled the trailer and both Dave's Lexus and my little Florence.

We drove all day yesterday to get to Michigan, where Dave's parents live. They left first with the trailer; Dave and I followed about an hour later, each in our own cars. Fortunately the weather was nice and the drive was pleasant. I actually had a good time jamming to my iPod and enjoying the scenery -- central Pennsylvania is really beautiful. We stopped for lunch at Aunt Lu's Cafe in Clearfield, at a truck stop that also featured the above chapel carved out of a converted motel room. Purely by coincidence, we stopped at the same place last year!

Today the plan is to unload the trailer and get the furniture listed on Craigslist. (We had to bring it back to Michigan first because it's part of a set that includes other pieces already here.) I'm thinking it might be better to contact an auctioneer or a used furniture dealer who can buy everything at once, so Dave's parents don't have to negotiate with the shady Craigslist crowd.