Week 1 in Argentina

Well, those 10 days between moving out of the apartment and flying down south went very quickly. I was fortunate enough to have good people to lean on during the transition, though I admit, I should have planned things better and ran out of time to get everything accomplished. I spent more time with friends/family than I could afford in reality, but my mom has stepped up to the plate in taking care of the remaining crap that I so sweetly dumped in her apartment. Thanks Mom, for being so gracious, though I'm sure (and I wouldn't blame you) you're swearing me out under your breath.

The flights to Buenos Aires went smoothly. I did my best to be patient and not jumping up and down like a little kid nor biting heads off of the children who were young enough to be a pain in the butt but old enough to know how to behave themselves. (They didn't behave well, by the way.) When we arrived in Ezeiza, I found myself in the old dark, dreary terminal I'd experienced the first visit here. Though this time I basically knew what to expect. Last time I hadn't traveled with pets, so that part was a mystery, but I found my bags fairly easily and made my way to the exit. Charlie was late in arriving, but only by a few minutes. I didn't see a place inside baggage claim to pick up the kitties nor to fill out paperwork, so I'd just gone through security and figured it was something I had to do on the other side. WRONG! I still have no idea where I was supposed to have gone to make it all easier, but we figured it out. 5 hours later, and super sweaty, exhausted and blisters all over my feet, we left the airport with the cats in tow.

Word of warning - Have patience when coming to Argentina. It's busy and crowded, the people who are supposed to be helping you take their time, and don't care about your needs whatsoever. I don't believe they know there's even a term "customer service" nor that it has a meaning. I'm not complaining, just ... well, I guess venting a little, but mostly just stating facts.

The emotional piece to all of this is very much like a roller coaster. I've had a few emotional breakdowns, of which Charlie has dealt with very well. His 6 year old son stayed the night with us Saturday. He's absolutely a sweetheart, looks just like his dad, and has almost the exact temperament. We seem to get along well, though I struggle with Spanish, and he talks like a 6 year old, so he's not easy to understand all the time, but we make it work. He didn't know what my contact case was, and some time between going to be Saturday night and me showering Sunday afternoon, he'd decided that my case was a toy and it's contents ended up on the floor. I had no idea what had happened and when I went to put them in, seeing a dry case, I freaked out, looking everywhere for what I might have done with them, feeling like I was crazy and crying the whole time. Fortunately, I'd brought my old pair with me, just in case, though they aren't comfortable and too old to wear, but I'll make do!

I can't remember what the other breakdowns were about, I guess the toughest part has been that I feel like I have to learn every little thing over again, from taking a shower (without water ending up all over the floor) to doing laundry, to using the oven. And for such an independent soul, not having the ability to communicate properly has been a huge frustration. Charlie has been great at showing me how to use things, and I'm signed up and started Spanish classes, so that should help get me over this hump of insanity. Meanwhile, I look forward to the new apartment being ready. It's been approximately a month that my life has been filled with chaos and living out of bags, I'm ready to be able to finally set some roots down again. AND I got the pick on the wallpaper for the bedroom!

Time to start making some supper! Happy Friday, folks!

The Move: Part 1

So, today is my first day since the end of the lease on my apartment. It's been a stressful, work-filled few days. My good friends Kris and Kristen along with the ginormous help of my mother were what made it all possible. I'm truly grateful for my mom especially. She has a fractured and sprained tail bone and drove an hour to come to my place Thursday because I was feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. She called out for work Friday and stayed the whole weekend... through this morning, calling out from work again today. Her dedication and motivation was remarkable. I didn't feel like quitting, I just wanted to get it done, but she was wonderful in keeping me going. I "yelled" at her several times for doing too much... told her she needed to take brakes and drink water, manage her pain. She kept telling me she just couldn't leave me to have to deal with all of it by myself. Talk about the love of a mother, no? We made a great team. I admittedly grossly underestimated how much there was to do and how long it would take to accomplish all of it. But, it was overall a success and we were able to finish up grabbing the last of the things from my place early this morning before the leasing office opened to find that I wasn't quite finished with everything yesterday when I was supposed to be.

Kristen spent Saturday with me, moving the heavy furniture, with the exception of my bed, which my uncle bought and picked up on Sunday. Kristen and I anticipated that Saturday was going to be a quick morning project, moving some things, and maybe needing to make a couple trips from north end of Denver to the south end, but it turned out to be more than anticipated. I would have been lost without her help. She was home sick after staying Friday night at my house and then out all day Saturday, but she stuck it out like a trooper when she didn't have to. Also, truly grateful for her husband, Bobby, for getting the truck running and thinking to volunteer it for our Saturday adventure.

So, here's a shout out to my girls (and Bobby, of course). Thank you all so tremendously. I couldn't be more appreciative and grateful for your hard work and showing how much they care.

I cried a little after slipping my apartment keys in the drop box (while the maintenance man showed up for work, by the way). As my mother so aptly put it, I was closing a chapter of my life. I'm going to miss that apartment. Though it was only a year there, it was such a wonderful experience to be truly on my own for the first time, to make new memories, to start a new life for myself. I cried because I will miss the place, but there was another element to it. I had a thought pop into my head that I wanted to just go home. I was exhausted and probably a bit dilerious, and when I said aloud to myself, "I want to go home," I realized that I didn't have a home for the time being. I know I'll be making a home with my Charlie so soon, but for the next 10 days, I'm essentially homeless... couch surfing with friends and family. I've never felt this uprooted before in my life. A truly humbling experience, and more "humbling" to commence as I finish sorting and donating/giving away/selling whatever was left from the original attempts, pre-move. After I'd napped, (finally) and was actually seeing and thinking a bit clearer, I drove to Boulder to see my uncle play with his band for their first live performance and a grin grew on my face. I realized that the ending of the lease wasn't a loss of something, it means I'm free! I'm on my way to being with my love in South America and for that, I'm so unbelievable excited. I guess it all comes back to perspective, right?

Anywho... I'm "home" at my best friend's house while she and her family are in Disney World. For the interim, I can't imagine having a better temporary home than Rho's place. Afterall, she's my sister from another mister!

The cats have their immunizations and exams finished for their international health certificates, so we're another step closer to being ex-pats. What next? Advice for anyone who is thinking about an international move... PLAN AHEAD and keep plucking away at each little thing and give yourself plenty of time. It's a lot to take on, can be overwhelming at times, but small goals add up to the big prize!

Signing out to get some much needed sleep and snuggle time with the international kittens of mystery :D Night all!