Leaving Rijnsaterwoude

The Move

And a few photos from the time leading up to leaving…

Moving Day

Queen’s Day

Beach Day

Slootje Springen

There was something Uncle Bart decided Sam needed to learn to do before we leave; something very important: 

Slootje Springen.

(all photos by bart)

The Plan

I thought I’d love all the ‘material’ this upcoming move makes for blogging… a gold mine of inspiration that would make my blog flourish.  But when it comes down to it, I’m turning inward and feeling quiet.  And we are so busy digging the mine, that when I set down the pick axe for a moment, I don’t normally feel the urge to then write about it all.  I tend to go lay down on the couch or thoughtlessly munch food.  You know… 

But we are plugging along.   This Sunday we can officially say it’s ‘moving month.’  So I thought I’d share our plans for the coming time.

We have just recently paid OUR LAST MONTH OF RENT.   Which feels really really wonderful. From now on the money each month will only be going to a house that is our very own!  We’ll be here through April and we have the truck scheduled to come to the house on April 27th to load up our stuff and take it to the container.  So the next three weeks will be focused on organizing, cleaning, throwing out and giving away, then meticulously packing each box with a corresponding list of EXACTLY what is in it.  Customs going into America is generally quite strict compared to other countries, and since we are packing everything ourselves (rather than having a professional moving company do it, which costs thousands more), it is extra important that we do a good job of documenting everything and estimating value, etc.  Phew.  I’ve been posting furniture and appliances on Marktplaats (it’s like Craigslist) and taking loads to the thrift store, so the house is slowly (very slowly) starting to empty.  I’m trying to keep obvious things the same as long as possible so that the kids aren’t disrupted by sudden disappearances and a continuously changing living environment.  In the last week before the container is loaded we’ll make the final push. 

When the house isn’t livable anymore we’ll take our bags (all the stuff we are taking with us) and cross the street, turn left at the orange mail box, go past the mini windmill and the ceramic figurines in the garden, wave to the elderly lady behind the geraniums, turn right and knock on Maarten’s parent’s door.  We’ll clean the house in that weekend before Queen’s Day (April 31st), and then enjoy all the festivities in the village here.  The kids will be right in the middle of their 2 week May vacation during all this, so we’ll use the first week of May - all the packing and cleaning being done - to give them a fun time, visit the last friends and relations we want to see, celebrate Opa’s birthday, and then Mylo’s, then have 3 last days of school before heading out on May 10th.  

We won’t be leaving the Netherlands by plane.  We came up with a way to turn the trip into a Journey, and to insure a slow and conscious leaving of first the Netherlands, then continental Europe, than … ICELAND… before landing in America:  Maarten’s parents will drive us up to the port in Northern Denmark (the same we’ve left from to take the boat to Norway) over the course of two days and then we’ll get on board (Smyril Line) and travel via the Faroe Islands (an excellent place to celebrate a 33rd birthday, don’t you think) to the East coast of Iceland.  There we’ve rented a car for 11 days and we’ll make our way along the South coast, staying in Hostels (most Hostels there have family rooms, some even little cottages) as we go.  Sam will get to see his volcano, the kids can ride Icelandic ponies, we’ll soak in hot baths, relax, and, most importantly, not think about the Netherlands OR America, but simply be, with the five of us, quite literally somewhere right in the middle.  I couldn’t think of a better way to make the transition.  We’ll make the final leg of the journey by plane from Reykjavik to Kalispell, arriving on the 26th of May.

So maybe I’ll be more motivated to show up here in the coming weeks, but maybe not.  We are already in the stage of having to let go of so many things we thought we could make happen, squeeze in ‘one last time,’  and I’m getting more comfortable with saying ‘no, I can’t’ and ‘oh well.’   I’ll write again soon, but if not,

Oh well.

Sunday Afternoon on the Dike

It was cold and blustery, but delightful, for all that.  Have I mentioned I’ll miss the dike? Oh yes, I will.

Moving Forward

The sign on the window says:

I guess that makes it official!

And our moving boxes arrived.  I filled up the first one with some books today.  It looked so small and lonely sitting in the corner of the work room that I filled up two more.  That’s more like it.  It feels really nice to be passed the difficult-decision-making stage (except for all the stuff we have to arrange once we arrive, haha) and into the active doing stage.  I’m better at that. 

Family Portrait

Family portraits are few and far between these days; an appropriate reflection of our life at this moment as a swirling blur of busy movement.  So when the occasional chance comes along to catch all five of us at once, I cherish it.  This one was taken by my parents during their visit in January.  We went to the beach on a blustery cold day.  It was basically an excuse for hot chocolate with a little beach time on the side.  The kids chased the foam that blew away with each step we took; racing ahead, looping back, going twice as far as the grown ups.  And for a moment we were all there, in one frame, before scattering again into a blur of movement.