Embarking on the task of packing up our life in Canada was both liberating and at times incredibly challenging. To the “how hard can it be” version of me who thought moving out of our house the day after my brother-in-law’s wedding was a good idea, it was not.
For those who know me, they know that I thrive on planning and getting shi*t done. As such the process began back in the spring, where what seemed like the majority of our belongings ended up on Buy Nothing or Facebook Marketplace. Despite these best efforts, you always have more stuff than you think. Also, as an outdoorsy family, there is also the issue of gear, gear and more gear.
Given the effort it took to get across the Atlantic, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our friends and family who helped us in big ways and in small. In no particular order:
Thank you to my mom whose basement is now a temporary storage facility and who housed our chaos for two weeks while we were “homeless” before we left. To Emelia and Gen for conveniently purchasing a new house at just the right time, such that you are able to lovingly babysit our small kitchen appliances, gym equipment, office furniture and more. To Ben, Martine, Cassie and Corey, thank you for graciously boarding random large furniture pieces and toddler toys until our return. To Julie-Anne for the late night therapy walks and for hosting our christmas tree. To Steph for hustling hard with me one afternoon even though I am sure you had better stuff to do. To James and Emily to taking good care of our canoe and camping equipment. To Matt and Meg for being the kind of people who jump at the chance for a double “date night” packing up our house; love you guys! To Paul and Cat for being the best neighbours ever, and helping us in a crunch when we ran out of time. To Phil’s dad Rick for always being willing to lend a helping hand, without you Phil could not have gotten all that stuff up to the cottage. Last but not least, a thank you to Michael and Lynn for lending us your truck, and trailer and most importantly your time.
It really does take a village to make dreams happen!
The total sum of these efforts concluded with us heading to the Netherlands with 3 MEC duffle bags, 2 large suitcases, 2 dogs and their crates, and 4 carry-ons. So much for packing light.
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