Places you'll go?

We bought a place in Canada, so we'll have a house to go back to, host friends and family at, and give Grandma and Grandpa a place to do the same...and a project.  We looked for one without much of a yard, trying to minimize the work in the off-seasons.

So we are home owners again.  And we're travelling again, this trip will be for fun, as usual, but with the added bonus of ... moving in.  Again.  With the moving in...  Oh well, once it's done, there's no need to do it again.  The kids are excited about having their things pulled out of storage, and I'm happy too-though remembering what we have has been a challenge.  Did we sell that?  Is that in storage?  And it's a smaller place, so I'm wondering what will make the cut... In many cases, I'd rather have an empty space than clutter.

I believe the sorting will be epic--even by my own ruthless don't-keep-it-just-to-keep-it-someone-else-can-use-it standards.  I really am that fond of an edited space.  The empty bits make what stays more special.  And I don't really have any sentimental attachments to extra clothes, I've kept a few select baby things, and I'm really more attached to the people who wore them--and those people are in all the pictures!

Having just, just completed two more courses, I'm nearly empty-headed now.  The mental 'space' is a relief, though it did take me a day to equilibrate.  Ok. 1.5 days.  I'm now free to focus on our travels and setting up another house.

Since leaving the nest at 18, I'm going to do the math now...
2 times into and out of dorms
2 times into and out of university places
House with the noisy crows
Apartment
House with people from work
House while we looked
Townhouse - first big move away, lots of tears.
Vancouver- house with crazed druggie in basement, police, etc... moved safely to next place
House downwind of fertilizer plant (gag), great housemate in downstairs suite
Basement suite with super family upstairs (hi!)
Moved to townhouse in arctic.  What?!  Where??
Moved to house in Yellowknife, met super friends, cried hard when we left. Gulps of tears-still miss that life and those friends, but we stay in touch!
Moved to North Vancouver, (met more friends-tried not to gulp when we said see you later to family and friends there-gulped anyway.  Manage the 'missing' with visits every chance we get...)
Moved to Santiago (more tears upon leaving--miss you lot if you're reading!)
Moved to Cajamarca (but the project had its 'mind' changed...so)
Stayed in Canada for 2 months
Moved back to Santiago (yay! then, goodbyes again)
Waited in Canada for visa
Moved to Colombia
About to move goods to house in Canada...

So this means I've scrubbed and scoured alone and with help (preferred!!!) 20 places, set up 20 kitchens, and am about to set up the 21st.  Having taken the lessons offered in these experiences, I'm short on time, heavy on the to-do list, and so I'm booking a cleaning service for the new place, just so I can execute this project with sanity, and not worry about my Mom and Dad toiling (because they just will, willingly...though they've already done legwork/logistics than they ought to have done!).  There are movers to coordinate, beds to make, excited kids to 'help' get everything set up...kitchen to whip into functional shape, a pantry to stock, showers, toilets, and tubs to bleach (part of settling in) and another house to figure out.  And then, hopefully, at the end of that day, there are a dozen feet to rest around the firepit with marshmallows on sticks.

Sitting means chairs...so, right, I need to buy outdoor chairs.  Putting it on the list! Right under the bug spray and sunscreen.

And hopefully, this place can be a permanent-ish (I'm a realist) home, and we'll have a place to attach our memories to...with lots of good times to look back on many years down the winding road.

Cheers and chao!