Bitter Sweet

This is our last full week here in the Bay Area. As we are slowly and surely cleaning up our house, finishing up our jobs, saying goodbye to friends and coworkers and removing our names from so many mailing lists, days go by with a bitter sweet taste to them. We are VERY excited to go but these final days here as we close this chapter of our lives, are much work!

Today, Monday, it will be my last day at the office. I will be there for a couple hours and then head to do some errands as I am preparing for a volunteer event on Tuesday. 

Tuesday, this will be my last day with so many of the wonderful EVs I have worked on the past four years. Wednesday, will be my final day of work and we will be moving boxes from an storage place to a new office (like I do not have enough boxes with stuff to deal with!), after that we will have lunch and say goodbye to coworkers. Then in the evening, we need to finish packing our boxes. Most of them are finish and sealed but we have few that need stuff we use everyday, like kitchen stuff. Cooking will be fun without all the utensils. Thursday, we will take our 27 boxes of stuff to the airport and send them ahead of us. Hope everything goes very smoothly. Friday, house clean and yard clean up and any other errands left. Saturday, party at our house! Many friends will be coming to wish us farewell (far and well?). Sunday, give away few pieces of furniture and last goodwill trips. Monday and Tuesday rest and last minute things.

Hope to keep it together...

Looking forward to...

Life will be so much fun in Ecuador now that I won't have a regular job. I will have all day everyday to do anything I want. How cool is that!

I look forward to spending quality time with my family. I have so many close family members and I have missed them very much these past 8 years. I look forward to holidays and special dates together. Lot's of food and sharing.

I look forward to the three of us (Pat, Mateo and I) in our apartment, in the land, traveling, discovering Quito, discovering Ecuador, growing as a family.

I can't wait to start decorating our places and make them feel cozy for us, family and friends as they visit. As soon as possible I will start developing our business too! 

In the middle of everything I think we will also enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. Time to read, write, love, appreciate, teach and just be. I look forward to whatever will come our way in our new lives. 

Quito view from El Panecillo

El Panecillo

What would I miss the most

I have been thinking about what would I miss the most when I am gone, and few things come to mind. I would probably miss...

1. going to swim in the mornings on my way to work

2. listening to my books on tape in my car on my way to work

3. going to yoga classes  and reconnecting with myself at least once a week

4. walking to the Palo Alto Baylands when I take a break from work

5. walking around the farm with Mateo and hiking in the forest

6. our wonderful library and all its resources

7. Whole Foods and all it's goodies 

8. Friends over for dinner and happy hours

9. The EVs - Environmental Volunteers, the people I have worked with the last 4 years.

10. Lunch out with coworkers and friends

I know that I will find a way to do some of these activities in Ecuador but I know it will take sometime to get into new routines. We are indeed re-inventing our lives and it will take a while to figure out what we will do with our time now that we will be unemployed. 

I look forward to the opportunities that this present but I will miss many people and activities from our lives here. 

In just one month

In just one month we will be arriving in Ecuador! We are several steps closer to our final move. Today we went to the Ecuadorian consulate in SFO and got Pat's 12-IX Visa. This visa will give us time to go through the process of applying for his residency. I have heard that is a long and painful process and I have also heard that it is very simple now that many Ecuadorian institutions are modernized. We will see. What we know is that we will not hire a lawyer and pay $1,200 for all this business. It will be a good experience for us and we will have time to do it. Besides, I am Ecuadorian and I have dealt with Ecuadorian institutions.

Meanwhile, our lives here are changing rapidly. I am training my replacement at my job. It is both tiring and easier as Laurie learns more and more. I am letting go little by little of my responsibilities. I will really miss a lot of people I have met all these years. I am sure many of them will come to visit us.
Seems like I am more aware now that some things I might be doing for the last time, some places I might be visiting for the last time, some people I might be seeing for the last time, so I try to enjoy myself and make the most of it everyday.

Here are some photos of the place I have lived these past 8 years. I have great memories of this farm. 

Here I worked 3 years

Here I lived few years

Here I lived few others

In my path to home or work

The white barn