Here I Go...

House dinners! On Sunday, Amy and Parker came over from their new house for a last house dinner (minus the meeting in which I complain that no one does their dishes)! We had tacos and salad and Kawal (our wonderful friend and landlord of the past couple of years) brought his boys and chocolate cake!!! Sarah showed up later with ice cream, but didn’t make it into the photos (Sorry, Sarah).

So, number one thing I will miss. THESE GUYS! It’s hard to imagine not living with Kris and Megan and Amy and Parker! Who will listen to conservative talk radio with me? Who will regale me with passionate rants at 6am?

I will also miss our yard, which we have put so much work into over the past couple of years. When we first moved in, our yard was blocked by 12 ft tall holly bushes and the “yard” was packed clay. Now it looks like a jungle (and the neighbors still hate it), but it has been producing wonderful herbs and veggies for us. Luckily, we didn’t invest too much time or money into veggies this year (I will be missing harvest season), but I will be sad to leave my herb garden. Parker and I started it last May, when I quit my job at the coffee shop to nanny for her.

So much mint, thyme, basil, lemon balm, 2 kinds of lavender, oregano, sage, parsley, sorrel, calendula and our strawberries in front. I DIDN’T miss strawberry season this year, thank goodness. Not as large a crop as we might have wished, but it was enough to make a quart and a half of strawberry lavender jam… The sealed jar is coming with me to Virginia, so my friends in Lynchburg should be excited about that.

and corn! (which I will miss harvesting… if it fruits…). It has been so fun to watch it grow by our mailbox. I had orginally intended on planting more, but then… all this happened.

I will miss my sweet little people who have been so dear to me.

Speaking of, I finally finished J’s early birthday present

with a matching vest, of course

I will miss fresh eggs and chicken friends. I have never met friendlier chickens.

I will miss other animal friends too

(this first sweet girl still needs a home…)

And the princess boy…

And i will miss the farmer’s markets that are just opening (though I’m sure I can find more where I’m going) and boiled peanuts and fresh georgia peaches… I never expected to stay in Atlanta… I can’t say I even really love Atlanta, but it’s been my home for the past 4-5 years and my only home as an adult. Of course, I know Boston in a way that I will never know another city, but I know Atlanta in a way that I do not know Boston. It will feel strange to be in new cities with histories I do not know and cultures I do not understand.

Most of all, I will miss this one. Especially brunch with this one.

We just do breakfast so well.

Right now it looks like I am leaving with 1 suitcase, 1 small duffel, 1 backpack and 2 totebags. This was way more than I intended to leave with, but Amtrak’s weight limit on baggage means that I have to spread the contents out. One of those bags is entirely filled with food (rice, beans, lentils, herbs etc.) so hopefully that will all be consumed while in Virginia and I can leave lighter than I came.

I’m leaving the day after tomorrow and I’m still pretending that I don’t have to get so much stuff done. It’s way easier to say goodbye when I pretend I’m not actually moving away.