Counting Down

Today we received our list of "things to do" before we are allowed to move out of our apartment (and get our deposit back, more importantly)... I can't wait to scrub out every crevice of every drawer, cabinet, and shelf during my last week of teaching. Carpets must be professionally cleaned (but two of our local services are not allowed... they don't live up to the standards of our property managers... ok, so which ones DO? Thanks), mirrors must be wiped (NO streaks), and of course all our stuff needs to be out.

I have four weeks of school left, and we are not only checking out of our apartment the day after the last day of school, but we are leaving for Mexico City the day after that! One of my dear friends from Westmont, April, is getting married down there. We get to spend 8 days touring the city, and monuments around it, while practicing the Spanish we will so desperately need in Ecuador.

Then we'll be home for about 10 days before we head to New York City to visit another college friend and her husband! I have been waiting for years to visit NYC, and I cannot wait to be shown around by the new resident, New Yorker at heart, and future Broadway star, Misty.

THEN we'll be home for about SIX days before we make the biggest move of both our lives... the time will fly not only because we are so busy traveling the continent, but because it's less than TWO MONTHS away! ~Counting Down~

This is what we'll be missing.

This is our kitten, McGee. He has a stink eye. When we go to Ecuador we will be leaving him behind along with our golden retriever, Sydney. We will miss them. But mostly Sydney. She actually listens to directions.

Time to Get Crazy ( "Loco" That Is).

Well, it hasn't even been a full week, but already Jon and I feel the looming craziness that we know will engulf us over the next couple months. We have a marriage certificate to authorize, vaccinations to get stuck with, airline tickets to change, bank accounts to open, HIV tests to take, and yes... police reports to obtain. (I hope they don't find anything suspicious.) On top of all this, we want to spend time with all the people we love, while trying to pack up our few belongings to put away in storage. Luckily we're both pretty laid back. I'm not sure I'll be able to say this in a month or so, but I can now and that's all that matters. One step at a time. 

Ecuador, we are coming...

I started this blog because Jon and I found out today that I was offered a 2nd grade teaching position at InterAmerican Academy in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Jon's brother, David, and our sister-in-law, Danielle are already down there and put in a good word for us, so we decided to follow them into Latin America... We figured when the time comes, there may be people who want to read about our adventures.  I also figured that if we're going to follow the "Senior Richerts" around, I might as well make a sweet blog like theirs. So here it is: a short, simple first blog that will be followed by many more as we prepare to move our lives and very few belongings down to South America. Welcome to our adventure!