Well, it has been a while since I've last posted, so I figured it was about time for an update. Time has definitely been flying over the past week, as many of you can probably imagine. Our existence these days seems to be a delicate balance of dealing with logistics, scheduling time with family and friends, maintaining some level of consistency (or normalcy) in our day-to-day lives, and making sure that each day Steph and I have a little time to talk and just catch up. I imagine that the coming months will continue to be a whirlwind, but my hope is that we'll at least fall into a bit of a routine and some of the anxiety will drift once my training begins... oh, which is less than a week and a half away!
Today I was able to check off two major "to-do's" before my impending move to DC. I was able to lock down an apartment and get my ticket to DC booked. I'll be living in Rosslyn which is a neighborhood in Northern Virginia directly across the river from DC. I chose this location because it's only two blocks to two Metro lines (we're leaving the car with Steph, so I'll once again be reliant on public transportation), close to DC, the shuttle for training picks me up a block from my apartment, and finally because I found a swim team that trains two metro stops and a 5 minute walk away! It was strange to consider so many "conveniences" in my decision, but at this point I really wanted to be able to maintain some consistency in life while we still had a little bit of control. I think I'll enjoy being back in DC, but will definitely miss many of the routines Steph and I had developed in Minnesota. In addition to locking down an apartment, I was also able to get my ticket for March 1st booked. I have to say, it was definitely the easiest travel arrangement I have ever made. With one simple call I basically was given a list of flights to choose from and once I decided they took care of everything else (including adding my frequent flyer account). Maybe it's just because things are so crazy right now, but the fact that I was able to knock out a major task in such a short time gave me a true sense of satisfaction. Maybe a little sad, but you gotta go with what you've got at this point, right?
In my life I've come to truly believe that things in life happen for a reason. I imagine that years from now Steph and I will look back and realize why we were called to accept this adventure. At this point we just trust it's the right thing to do and dive in head first. This past weekend was definitely a moment in which I know it was "meant to be." As Steph mentioned in her previous entries, my brother Dan and I went to the Daytona 500 with my dad this past weekend (those of you on Facebook can see some of the pictures). For as long as I can remember, my dad has always said that the two things he wanted to do before he died were to see the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. This year, we were able to make the latter a reality with some major assistance from my mom. It truly was an amazing experience and hopefully not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with my dad.
I say that I think this trip was meant to be because it had been planned since late last year (we surprised him at Christmas), it coincided with his 60th birthday, and because I was still able to do the trip before I headed off to training. I imagine that under any other circumstances this trip might not have happened or not had as much meaning, but what a way to go out! If my memory serves me correctly, the last time my dad had any time with just his boys, it would have been about 14 years ago when all of us were at boy scout camp for a week in the summer. Dad still has a picture of all of us after a huge storm hit the camp in the late afternoon and then we were blessed with an amazing sunset. I love that picture, and think that the joy I experienced then was as strong as I felt this weekend. The weekend was filled with time to bond, enjoying some good stock car racing, and just really having a ball. None of us had seen racing at that level before, so it was quite the experience. I think all of us would really like to do that again. I know that when I go I will look back on that trip and smile. I am so glad I was able to spend that kind of quality time with my dad and brother, and will look forward to a time that we can do it again. Those kinds of opportunities are definitely something I will miss, but I'm confident that another one will present itself in the future.
I continue to think how blessed Steph and I are to have so many special people in our lives. As we continue to notify people about our road ahead we are constantly reminded of the great friends and family we have. It will be hard to leave it all behind, but I am confident that the strength of relationships we have developed with all of these people will serve as a foundation for moving forward, and give us strength in the almost imminent tough times that may surface.
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