It’s 11:19 pm, and we’ve just settled into Prescott Valley, Arizona for the next five days. Emrys’ brother (Geoff) and his wife (Krissy) have been kind enough to bring all of our belongings out in their massive truck and trailer. We are now officially residents of 225 cubit feet of space in Phoenix, at a U-Haul storage facility. Everything else we own fits into our car, and will be traveling with us to Durango, Colorado on Thursday.
Last night we loaded the truck and trailer in a blitz, starting at 9 pm and finishing the bulk of the loading by 9:30 and the apartment was empty and clean by 10:30. We had many hands to help out. We had some tearful good-byes, as some of our closest Pasadena friends had come to assist in the loading. It was strange to close the door for the last time on Apartment #1 at 296 North Oakland Avenue; it seems like just a few days ago we opened that door to an empty apartment, ready to fill it with our life and belongings. Our belongings remain with us, but we leave behind some life, two and a half years of good life-time lived with folks with whom we have become good friends and siblings in Christ. Whoever said ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow’ had it right.
Emrys managed to drive Geoff’s truck and trailer, sore laden with car and stuff, from Los Angeles to Prescott Valley without jack-knifing them or hitting any other vehicles. One small step for Emrys—one sigh of relief for Geoff. It was wonderful to visit with them on the seven-hour drive from LA to Phoenix (since our car was in the trailer, we could all ride together in the truck).
It is refreshing to be out of the big city, in a place where the night is dark, stars are bright, the air smells fresh but doesn’t have a taste, and the nearest six-lane freeway is a hundred miles away. But we miss with poignant emotion the close relationships we have now made distant. We are shell-shocked and exhausted from all this business of moving—the depth of our relocation will likely sink in over time, but there is comfort in knowing that most of our friends in Pasadena are only an e-mail away regardless of where in the world we are.
2 comments:
Hey Kurt and Sara,
I am very excited to hear of your plans. My hearty vote is for Africa. We have a mission in South Africa that I visited over a year ago. Africa grabs you and never lets go. I was in Zululand. Physically, it was like being in paradise, unbelieveably beautiful. The people were incredible. You would learn so much from these people. Best of luck on this magnificent adventure. Keep me posted. Natalie
Hi! I found your blog via Leah's blog - I sometimes venture out to read about her adventures. Glad to hear that you are both doing well. I talked to Bill the other day and he told me about your plans to go abroad. How exciting! Let me know what else is going on with you. My email is jamieareed@hotmail.com
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