are we there yet?

We made it! We're in Minnesota!

Ok, so technically we're in Wisconsin right now. Details, details.

I know this post comes a bit later than we'd all like, but things have been hectic! I'm going to do my very best to give you a run-down of everything that's happened in the eleven days since we left New York City.

But before I get into the adventures of the last few days, let me put you all at ease by answering the number one question on everyone's mind: HOW COLD IS IT?!

Oh, no. Sorry. The number one question everyone's asking me is: How are you doing?!

Answer: I am doing great (and it is pretty. damn. cold)!

We hired movers to load the truck up with all of our stuff, which was the best $75 I ever spent, seriously. David helped them because he's incapable of sitting still when he's impatient and anxious to get going. I sat in the truck like a total princess and didn't lift a finger. You know, I ought to be embarrassed about that, but I'm not gonna lie. It was awesome.

We went up to Boston on Sunday and stayed over Sunday night and Monday night. We took David out for a real Roast Beef sandwich ("What, is it like Arby's or something?" "NO.") We got chinese food because I had been CRAVING crab rangoon for about four years and THEY DON'T HAVE IT IN NEW YORK. If anyone ever asks me why I left NYC, I'm going to look them dead in the eye and say that I left because of the crab rangoon shortage. Appalling.

It was really wonderful to stop off in Massachusetts one last time. Everyone was so happy for us, and took the trouble to remind me what I'm getting into. You know, like "I hear it's REALLY COLD out there! Love you! Miss you! DON'T FREEZE TO DEATH!"

We loaded the truck up with even more stuff. Highlights include: an electric blanket ("isn't it really cold up there, or something?"), a food processor, and a shiny, red, KITCHENAID. Also among my old things that have been packed up since my college days I found THE UGLIEST AFGHAN EVER! "So ugly it's pretty!" as I used to say back in high school to describe everything I owned. Of course this monstrosity is my FAVORITE blanket ever and you can bet that when David and I get our stuff out of storage I will take tons of pictures to show you. Perhaps I'll even dedicate a blog post entirely to that ratty thing. It will rock!

So, anyway. Saying goodbye was a lot more difficult than I expected it to be. I cried and cried saying goodbye to each of my parents. I'm still pretty homesick, actually. It's funny; I haven't really lived at home in years and years, but this is the first time I really feel like I'm leaving home, you know?

And then it was just us and the open road! David, me....and Durpalug. Yeah. See that picture of the extremely perturbed cat on the right? That's Durp. When she wasn't sleeping or trying to make a break for it by attempting to jump out the window at a toll booth in Illinois and instead getting her claws stuck in my hair while I was driving, she looked like that. To be fair, I can't really blame her. By the end of the trip I pretty much looked like that, too. But with more frizz.

What did we do on the drive, you ask? We drove. No stopping off at the world's largest ball of yarn for us! It was pedal to the metal. We drove from Boston (2 hours of nearly stand-still traffic on the Mass Pike!) to just past Cleveland, OH on Tuesday. Then from there to Minnesota on Wednesday. Pretty much every time I hopped in the driver's seat it started raining. We were wise enough to bring a fully stocked cooler with us, so we had plenty of carrots, apples, peanut butter, tortillas, hummus, trail mix, granola bars, and, most importantly, red bull to last us. We only stopped for dinner. (The first night: Applebee's. And I swear, I was so excited to get out of the truck and eat something other than the rabbit food listed above that I was practically jumping up and down. Never mind that our waiter did a magic trick every time he came to the table. Never mind that the air conditioner was on full blast in September. Never mind that it was freaking Applebee's--it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The second night: Chili's. Not such a great time there. No magic tricks, for one thing).

A few rest stops here and there, but mostly we just drove, drove, drove. Despite the photographic evidence showing that Durp was a pretty miserable kitty-cat, I must say that she was surprisingly well behaved for the most part. She developed a particular interest in big rig trucks. Every time we got near to one on the highway she would perk up and put her paws on the window and start sniffing at it. Cute!

We got in Wednesday night and almost hit two deer on the way to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin where we're staying! Yes, I moved to Minnesota, but I'm staying in Wisconsin. David's Aunt Katie was generous enough to let us use her basement apartment until we can get our own place. It's a completely separate two bedroom apartment in the basement of her house. We have our own entrance, bathroom, and kitchen. Have I mentioned how extremely fortunate we are, and how super grateful we are to David's family for helping us out so much? Because we are.  St. Croix Falls is right on the border of Minnesota, and with luck we'll be moving to Minneapolis soon.

It's been an adjustment for sure. This is more "country" even than Ithaca ever was. It's by far the most rural environment I've ever lived in. It's beautiful, though. Very quiet and peaceful, and very scenic. The leaves are absolutely stunning up here, which surprised me. I always think of Autumn as a New England thing.

I'm homesick, for sure. Way more so than I've ever been moving to any other place. David has been worried about me. He's so anxious, and wants to make sure that I adjust and that I'm happy here. I keep telling him, "I am so happy to be here! It's just going to take a little while to adjust. And you have to adjust to being back here, yourself!" And it's true. We have each other, and that has made this transition so much easier. Even being in an unfamiliar place, with all our things packed up in storage, it helps so much that his family has been so kind and welcoming. And having him here to look out for me makes all the difference in the world. We've finally begun to settle into a routine and have begun job searching. That helps a lot, too. In the meantime, I've been keeping myself busy in all sorts of ways! But those stories are for future posts to come! And I promise there won't be such a long dry spell next time!

I love and miss you all so much! And you New Yorkers--do me a favor and really relish the next bagel you get, ok? God, I miss those.