It would've been Seven.

Yesterday, had we not made this big life change in moving to DC, I would've gone to my seventh faculty/staff beginning of the school year retreat. 

Today, I would've begun my seventh round of back to school workshops and meetings. 

Next Tuesday I would welcome my seventh class of freshmen on their orientation. 

Next Wednesday I would begin teaching my seventh year.

But, alas, none of that's happening.
I'm really sad to be missing out on all of this. I miss my friends and the familiar faces and places of work. Before I taught for six years I was also a student at my school. That's a decade's worth of memories.

But, alas, I'm also really happy and excited.

I'm happy and excited to have an amazing opportunity in our hands, the chance to do new and enlightening things.

I'm looking forward to what the days, weeks, months, and seasons have to bring us. 

This is new and good, exciting and scary, but the best thing for us that we could be doing right now and I don't think I could ask for more. 

Also, pretty skies can help ease the transition.
xoxo, natty ♥

Taxation Without Representation.

This is also known as Phase 4 : everything else. We rolled into DC today around three in the afternoon. Our new apartment and neighborhood seem to be just right for us and we are so grateful for all of the hospitality we encountered along the way {that's YOU, friends!}.
It's time to rest, unpack, and get settled...woo hoo!
And here's my driver. He let me have a total of about four hours behind the wheel in the past 16 days. That's four hours out of approximately 66 hours and over 3,000 miles. What a hubby; thank you, Mike, for our safe arrival.
Buenas noches y'all.

Chicago.

It's humid!! And I'm happy to be here. Over and out.

Back to where it all started.

Late yesterday evening Mr. Mike and I rolled into Minnesota {after trudging through North Dakota}, the state where we met. It's also the state where Rebecca and I met and Ellie and I met and Emily and I met and a herd of other people came into my life. I was back once between now and when we graduated college six years ago but that was a quick weekend and in downtown Minneapolis, not in this neighborhood that I lived in. It's kind of weird but wonderful to be back. It's familiar and somewhat the same just like I'm still me but most certainly changed after six years. It's hot and humid, something I love but will have to get used to considering our new home. It smells like the Midwest, to me at least. The houses look like Minnesota, to me at least. And, most importantly, my friends are here to welcome us.

Becs and I spent the day lolling around with our dogs {fast friends!} and doing things that I would have a hard time selling to the mister. He would have no interest in the following : 1} a community street fair that included a petting zoo and bouncy playground and 2} a neighborhood walking architectural tour. 

I resisted scaring these guys to watch them faint. But I almost did.

It was glorious to indulge these interests with someone who shares them! My hubby would make a day of it with me, I am sure, but I think he was much happier playing soccer with some old friends. I'll put up the house pictures in another post {scintillating to all} because it's late and I'm tired. I did learn two new words : "quoin: these brick or stone embellishments on the edges of homes" and "cupola: a windowed little room atop a home from which one may see in all directions". But, anyway, imagine a lot of this.

I also checked off several items from my summer travel scavenger hunt. I'm loving this list SO much and only wish I had remembered before yesterday; there was so much that I could've used driving through Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Oh well.
After several walks and a delicious pizza dinner I am ready for bed and ready to gear up for tomorrow's journey; up next, Chicago. The ride will hopefully be less painful shorter than that through North Dakota. And, it must be said, many MANY thanks not just to our pals and family hosting us {THANK YOU!!!!} but also, thank you, very many thanks, to my dear sweetie who is taking us swiftly and safely across the country.
xoxo, natty ♥

We're here!

We made it to the twin cities and the warm home of Rebecca and Josh. Woo hoo for surviving North Dakota.
xoxo, natty ♥

Things about driving to Montana from the Seattle area.

* it took us 14 hours.
* my husband drove the whole time, bless his heart.
* we went through two drenching thunder storms.
* we passed through the skinny top part of Idaho; we saw no potatoes but ate lunch in an old mountain silver mining town. We polished it off with a huckleberry milkshake and it made everything in my little world "ok".
* Montana has the prettiest skies I've ever seen. I wanted to take pictures about ten different times but no one would appreciate a beautiful sky through a filthy and bug encrusted windshield. So I remember the skies with just my mind's images.
* Montana has casinos connected to what seems like each and every gas station and sports bar.
* we saw a bald eagle while driving, thus ratcheting up our tally on this adventure to three.
* 14 hours in a car is a bit much for me.
* finally finding my iPod car radio transmitter {thanks Mark!} and being able to listen to podcasts made the ride much more palatable than before.

I love our beautiful country and I love my dear husband for taking us so intrepidly {two thunderstorms with lot of rain!! Hydroplaning!!} across its vast expanse.
As for tomorrow; Minnesota {and all the wonderful people there!} here we come!

Wrapping up Phase 2 Days 4-11.

Our last night before really snaking our way to DC is tonight. It's been a wonderful week staying in Home, Washington. I'll have a real post with actual explanations of my pictures when we get settled into our new home and life and when I am blogging from a computer with Internet and not just the Blogger application on my phone.
Tomorrow is the beginning of Phase 3 {and days 12-17} - "Washington to Washington" by way of Idaho, Montana*, North Dakota, Minnesota*, Wisconsin, Illinois*, Indiana, maybe Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania*, and Maryland. The stars indicate where we'll sleep either in a hotel or with extremely gracious friends.
I am trying so hard to pump up myself for and/or act casual about the really long days, of which there are three out of the five. I'll be downloading some books on tape tonight. It's an exciting adventure for us, that's for sure, and I look forward to chronicling our time and the sights we see.

Vines.

Champ, short for Champagne, is a golden retriever and blood hound mix. He was half of our guide team {with his papá Claude} at Trillium Vineyards. We went today and got a very exclusive tour of the grounds {beautiful}, cellar {fascinating - Claude and his wife Claudia [I kid you not] are their only employees and everything is done the old fashioned way...I can't explain it but just trust me}, and the tasting room. We acquired more than a few bottles from Claude and enjoyed a lovely dinner after our tasting. It was quite a nice day by my {and any} standards.
We have one more full day before we set off on our Epic Journey of Driving which is a mere {but lengthy} part of The Big Move 2012. Think good thoughts for us!

Honor code.

Seen on the side of our road in Home. I couldn't say "no".
We're certainly enjoying our days here and are trying to mentally gear up for the hours and miles in the car starting on Friday. But today's Tuesday and I'll focus on that.

Views.

Today was all about beautiful views. Happy Monday!

Baldy.

It's after dinner relaxing time right now and we just got back from a walk where we watched two bald eagles vie for a crow's best. It was amazing. One actually just flew by again which I saw from the front porch. Uh may zine. There were also a few otters rolling around in the water just to add the the overall majesty of it.
In other Pacific northwest news, we took a ferry to Seattle today, meandered the public markets, and came home to Home so we could grill and ear freshly bought/caught salmon.
It was also the first day where the sun didn't come out and I've come to realize that I might just could live here despite the sunless months. There is such a striking beauty in the verdant heights splashed against the light grey sky and a lovely appealing quiet air about things. Except in downtown Seattle which is, as one might expect, loud and crowded.
Here's to four more days on the Puget sound and hopefully more wildlife.

Lavender.

We went to a lavender festival today. It was held at a lavender farm kind of in the middle of nowhere. There were some craft vendors and the farm has a store full of lavender products {soaps, sachets, etc.} but the best part were the fields of many lavender varieties. Rows of dark purple buds mixed with barely-there lavender colored plants. Large and full bushes ran alongside thin reedy plants. I had no idea how many types of this fragrant bud exist and it was glorious learning so first hand.
We also rambled through their regular garden and furtively tested a few raspberries off the vine which only left me wanting my own personal raspberry farm. Fruit that's still warm from the sun it was growing in is a singular earthly pleasure that I don't get enough of.
Other than the festival we picked up my in-laws {parents & brother} at the Sea-Tac airport {crowded!} and gathered more groceries to keep us snacking through the week.
Happy Saturday!