Family 2015

Family 2015

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Musings from the Rabbit Hole

So, we have lived in Virginia now for 9 days.  We are Virginians...or as Pierce says "Virginiaganders."   We arrived after midnight and when I got off I-64 at our exit number I was plunged into 4 miles of the longest, darkest road I have possibly ever experienced.  I was grateful to arrive at a road with streetlights and the familiar sight of Arby's and a gas station before we reached our rental house, but I was still feeling pretty displaced.

Kennedy and I got up early to get her ready and off to band camp.  It was surreal.  We show up at this high school and I'm filling out all these papers to enroll her in school and leaving her with this teacher and students I've never seen before and I don't even know where I am.  It was the first of many times during that first week that I stopped for a moment to question my sanity.  Who does this when their family is half-grown?  Moves across the country and into a whole new world??  Crazy people, that's who.  You can draw your own conclusions about us from that statement.

The rest of the week was much the same.  Enrolling the boys in school was a relatively simple affair and pretty painless since the building the reminds us of the Perry Center and the classes are "pretty big this year" at 18-20 students per room.  McKinley and Reagan were pretty easy as well, but Kennedy.  Holy wow. Virginia does not feel the same way about homeschooling that Michigan does and we have had to do everything short of sign in blood to get her enrolled there as a Junior.  But, we overcame.  Tonight is orientation for the 3 girls and I feel like we're at the end of a marathon.

It is beautiful here.  And people are so kind and helpful.  The drivers are just as bad as Michigan drivers although the gas prices are much better.  ($3.15 last time I filled up!)  I think I like it.  But, I also miss the familiarity of Michigan and all my friends.  I was sad yesterday during FIM's open house and at the same time excited because I knew Reagan's placement class was today and I get to teach next week.  It is a strange dichotomy of emotions and I sometimes feel like I am hovering over myself watching the whole thing unfold.

But, we are here.  We have made it to week 2 and that feels pretty big right about now.

One day at a time...