The Business of moving to Misawa

Day 1- Long Term Storage
The movers came to pack up our things that are going to be sent to Long Term Storage and loaded them on the van.  These are items that we want but that we are afraid we will not have room or use for in Japan.  We sent things like our photo albums and scrapbooks, my hope chest, my decorative dolls, our fine china, and the piano.  We will need a piano in Japan so we will just have to buy a keyboard.  It is a lot more expensive to rent a storage unit in Japan but it does make me a little nervous that we will not see any of these precious items for at least three years. 

Day 2- Household Goods
To prepare for the movers, we set up a “Safe zone” in our kitchen. It is a blue taped area that holds all of the items we will take to the temporary living facility, that we need for school, ballet and yoga, and that we will take on the plane.  We also have placed all the unaccompanied baggage into our playroom.  They will be picked up on Day 3. These items arrive to Japan faster and they consist of our clothes, pro gear, kitchen necessities, and toys for the kids.  All of this has taken a lot of prep and a lot of Zip Lock bags (for little items) but I think it will pay off on the flip side.
The movers came and worked fast.  They both boxed and loaded and filled three storage crates.  I have begun leaving “an offering”, as I call it, on the front porch of the items that the movers will not take.  I have left cleaning supplies, food stuffs, kitchen items, lawn care, and car care items out.  Then I post on the Nellis Wives Face Book page and watch people come with wagons to haul the stuff away. It is quite amusing to me. 

Day 3- Household Goods, Unaccompanied Baggage, Temporary Living Facility
The movers are going along well and we have been happy with the fact that they pack the boxes and then load them into the van. This did not happen in Springville and it seems to be a more organized and efficient way of loading.  They took the Unaccompanied Baggage today.  We sorted the kitchen items that we wanted onto the table so they could easily box them and the playroom was full of the rest of the items- toys for the kids, pro gear, our clothing.  At the end of the day, the only things left to pack in the house were the remaining kitchen items and the coat closet. 
We were able to move into the Temporary Living Facility a day earlier than we expected.  We are on the same side of base as our housing so I will just drive the kids to the bus stop in the mornings.  The TLF is roomy enough with laundry facilities, kitchenette, internet, and cable.  Bear was thrilled to have her own little bedroom as the TLF has three.  I told her to soak it up because that will not be the arrangement in Japan.  It was surreal to leave our house and drive down the street to another living arrangement.  I am starting to feel melancholy.  I am starting to say goodbye to people as my yoga classes whittle down and the school year starts to end.  

Day 4- Household Goods, Cleaning Day
The movers took the last of the items and drove the truck away.  All of our memories and belongings are spread between three shipments now and we hope to see them again in time.  We went to the house to say goodbye and reminisce on some of our favorite things about the house and Nellis.  I will miss hearing the kids laughing out on the trampoline.  I will miss watching the kids dance in the living room.  I will miss teaching ballet to the neighborhood kids.  I will deeply miss our across the street neighbors and best friends, the Bloom’s.  I wish there was a way to know what I would have been attached to when we first moved in two years ago.  Then I would have held on to those precious things and savored every moment.