Preparations Update

After a hectic schedule and various retirement parties (thank you Thomson Reuters and Staples colleagues, managers and friends), we are settling into retirement life.  We are still reveling in the fact that we do not have to think about getting up and going to work, about the stresses and regimentation of working life. It was fun, in fact for both of us work has been a wonderful experience but we are tired and so ready for living life a little bit slower, our way, with no limitations or expectations.

We are now fully into the process of the final downsize, for that moment when all that we own will fit snugly (oh so very snugly, aided with lots of pushing and shoving) into the back of the Prius, under the cover.

Our furniture is gone and we are currently living with a couple of fold up tables and camp chairs, sleeping on an air mattress.  As we sort through and categorize the last of our belongings (travel with us; flea market; friends; goodwill) I am still amazed at how this stuff keeps multiplying.  The small bathroom is now completely empty, clean and ready for move out.  The office is holding the piles of things for the flea market and Goodwill.  Our bedroom has the mattress and various odds and bobs while the master bathroom has some 'not sure yet' stuff to use on our last few days here.  The Walk-in closet has enough clothes for a couple of days and I am getting used to doing laundry by hand in the bath tub again (washer and dryer gone!) - ah memories of a life gone by when children were toddlers and money was something that we did not have.  As for the living room, that has a pile of suitcases; the kitchen cupboards have been emptied but the pantry seems to be growing a bit more food every time I look in there - how can this be and yet there doesn't seem to be anything left to eat?  We have saved 2 plates, 2 coffee cups a pot and a pan and very little else for our day to day use - we will need these when we move out of here and into a motel for a week.

Planning and arrangements are coming along - it doesn't feel like that when I wake up in a sweat in the middle of the night wondering how we are going to get this all working smoothly. 

Move out day is Friday when we are moving into an InTown Suites (weekly motel of a better than dubious nature) for a week.  On Saturday we will take a fully loaded car out to Traders Village (a flea market south of San Antonio) where we will spend a fun day selling whatever we can and then take the remnants to Goodwill.  After that it will definitely be time to catch our breath (and maybe a movie) while we say goodbye to some friends and to San Antonio.

April 1st (is this prophetic in some way) will be our day to cross into Mexico and we have booked a bargain hotel in Saltillo for the first night and have also booked a week in an apartment in Durango (love the Airbnb rates!) leading us to our first planned vacation week in Mazatlan starting Friday April 7th.

Mexican auto insurance has been purchased (highly recommend Sanborn's for their easy online policy purchase process) and we have some interesting roads information:

http://www.milebymile.com/main/mexico.html

this has the map of the roads in Mexico

Yes Mexico has some very different time zones too:

The last couple of weeks have been a bag of mixed emotions for both of us.  The pleasures of being retired mixed with the stresses of getting rid of most everything and wondering where the rest will go, along with logistical planning and the uncertainties between now and April 7th are definitely an emotional roller coaster for both of us.  We are trying to temper this with long daily walks, a glass of wine and reminding each other why we are doing this.