We're Off!!

Well, we didn't think we'd make it, but we're finally off on our journey, but it hasn't been easy. Less than 2 weeks before our departure we found out that there were some changes (or at least the information was new to us) in the paperwork requirements to move our household goods to France, so we had to do some quick thinking. We originally planned to load the goods into the container the day we moved out of our Bay Area home, & have them moved into a storage facility in Béziers until we moved into our permanent home in France. Instead, we decided to move them into storage in the Bay Area until they are ready to be shipped to France. In the long run, this is better (less expensive), but it caused stress.

For a variety of reasons (we won't go into detail) we were slower in getting things donated/tossed/packed, so it was really down to the wire. We were still packing when the movers arrived.  Somehow we made it, even though it didn't look like we would. All the last-minute activity caused stress & insomnia, but things are looking up. When we originally planned this nearly a year ago, we thought we had more than enough time, but maybe that was the problem. With so much time before the move, we didn't feel the sense of urgency. Note to self: don't get fooled by long lead times......start early and assume everything will take longer than you think.

We left the Bay Area shortly after noon yesterday, heading south to LA for the first stop on our 6-week trip across the US & Canada. At this time of year, the drive down Highway 5 is bland & boring, which makes it seem even longer than it is. Arrived in LA (Woodland Hills, actually) exhausted, but managed to avoid the worst of LA traffic. Walked a few blocks & found an Indian restaurant that looked pretty good, so we picked up some takeout, along with a bottle of wine from a grocery across the street. We always thought that the food in most Indian restaurants was pretty much the same, but this had to be the worst we've ever had.

Today we're heading to the Getty Villa in Malibu; we love the sister museum in LA & hope this one does't disappoint.