Timing is everything. If it’s meant to happen it will, at the right time for the right reasons.
Reflecting back, it was not as easy to make this decision to start traveling. Not only did it take a lot of determination to make sure that we did not add any more to our existing treasures, but also to figure out the financial aspects of travel.
Discussions on where to travel and where to stay were ongoing. Our decision to select places to visit depended on good local transport connections and at the same time to be in a location that would be central to make day trips to see local sights. With that in mind, we started mapping our first 6 months. With resources on the internet, we mapped out our desired route. Vacation rentals were identified, dates finalized and accommodation booked.
Life events shape our time! Our story is not very different. We decided life is really short and we need to do things we want to do while we are able to do them. So the dream of travel that we had started taking shape. As mentioned before we were in a rented apartment and now had to decide on a departure date. Once this date was fixed we had to work towards it to get our ducks in a row.
Decisions had to be taken again, do we keep furniture that we had? Do we box up everything or sell it or donate it? Our first move from our house to the apartment a year ago had taken care of a lot of things. But, we still had belongings that we had to decide if we keep or give up. We decided to keep more things in storage. Reason being that we would return to California next year and would rent an apartment for and would need some of the furniture. Travel date of July 1st, 2015 was finalized. Immediately, I started boxing up things that I wanted to store. Trying to let go is hard, and I know it first hand. A lot of thoughts was given to what to keep and what should go.
In between all this, I made a trip to India to spend time with my dear mother who was going through chemotherapy. No one should have to go through what she is going through at 82. Once I was with her she was very happy. My mother is also a traveler. She has been to countries that one only dreams of. Africa being her most favorite destination. She can talk about her experiences there with so much passion. During my one and half month visit with her, she wanted to go someplace during the break she got in between her Chemo’s. She is amazing! Due to the short notice, she was unable to get a visa to go to Switzerland where she really wanted to go. So we settled on Dubai! Seven days of exclusive time was spent with my mother, and I would have it no other way. My brother and his wife stopped on their way back from Turkey and we had a day of family time in Dubai. I took my mother to the Burj Khalifa as she had never been there. That was the highlight of her trip. Her encouragement to continue to travel and her support that I was going to different areas was exciting for her. We even planned on meeting again during these six months of travel so she could get a short trip, with her doctors permission.
On my return from India, we had to sell our cars. Hemant’s car first as mine was the workhorse to haul boxes to storage as needed. We had not sold cars for some time and did not know what to expect. Hemant’s car sold in a day! That was quick and fast and we were surprised and happy and also a bit sad at the same time to see it go. After all, we had owned it for nine years!
Back to packing and boxing up. Movers were scheduled to come to move the larger items. We had to get out of the rented apartment and if anyone has done it before, you already know the process. Packing is laborious and difficult. After the move, cleaning of the rental apartment is required. Carpet to be shampooed before the walkthrough is done by the landlord. All these people were scheduled. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping everything goes as planned. But does it? The storage unit that we had booked was
5’ x 12’. Or so we thought! We planned on what to keep according to the size of the unit as far as the furniture goes. We took most of the boxes into storage and our son helped to stack them up to optimized space. Once the boxes were gone the apartment only had furniture we wanted to keep was left for the movers.
My car, the workhorse.
My car was up for sale next. That was also sold in one day! Must I say we were lucky or was the timing right?
Movers were scheduled to come in the afternoon. To make matters difficult, they came an hour late. The storage facility closed at 7 pm. We had 5 hours to get everything done. A challenge? Yes, it was. I would highly recommend scheduling movers to come in the morning and never in the afternoon.
To our dismay, the storage unit was 6” short each way. Fortunately, we had reserved another small unit just in case we needed more space.
After this fiasco, and the manager of the storage facility saying, “ this is really egg in my face, I did not know that the units were smaller”, we managed to complete the move. Tired and happy at the same time, that we had successfully executed our plan of action, with little stress. Timing is everything! To get the movers and move the items into storage, getting the apartment cleaned and carpet shampooed, in that order, in a day and a half was accomplished. A sigh of relief and a well-deserved drink was a welcome! We were Home Free and looking forward to spending a couple of days with our son before we left on our 6-month adventure.