Spain to Uruguay via Venice....shipping bags and all.

With October passing in the blink of an eye we found ourselves getting down to the last crazy things that we needed to finish in order to transition from Spain to Uruguay.  Having found Bag Express we had solved the very expensive and awkward problem of carrying your entire life with you everywhere you go, for this transition anyway.  We were already starting to wonder if we could get by with less stuff….

Bag Express needed to pick up the bags that we were shipping ahead no later than 5 days before we wanted them in Italy.  We booked a hotel for a few days in Venice prior to embarking on the ship since we had never visited Venice, and it gave us a little leeway if something happened to the bags.  The bags were to be delivered to the hotel on the day that we arrived.  We packed them with the idea that we would not open them up until we were on the ship.

We wanted to keep only what we would need to survive in Granada for the last few days we were there and the things we would need while being first time tourists in Venice.  Venice in early November is usually pretty cold, so sweaters and coats and other bulky stuff had to be packed in the bag that would stay with us.  Now, for those of you who know me well you know that I never have a problem fitting a ton of stuff into a bag, however, the problem is weight.  I can get way more weight into any bag than it is ever supposed to hold because I am such a good packer.  With airline weight restrictions that strategy is no longer an option.  With no scale available to check our bags we just decided to make the ones we were shipping heavy and try to keep the final one that would travel with us light, an organizational challenge to say the least.

The weather had turned quite cold and rain was starting to be a regular feature so cleaning the house inside and out and getting all the laundry done so we could pack it away became a bit more challenging than we had anticipated. 

Our friends Allie and Andrew were back from their trip to the US happily married and ready to get back into their real life in Granada.  All four cats had survived the summer without them but were definitely very happy to have their family back together.  We packed in a lot of tapas evenings so that we could spend time with as many of our friends as possible.   We knew we would be back at some point, but with the Peace Corps situation still unknown we really did not have any idea when that time would come and expected that it would be at least a few years. 

Granada does that to you; as soon as you know you must leave you start trying to figure out how you are going to get back someday.

And of course, just to make it memorable my birthday came in the middle of all this and we were able to spend it with Kellie and Brit at Puerta de las Pesas.  Fernando and Paloma were there with us and fixed a spectacular meal, had a very special cake made for me, and served it all with love and a wonderful Spanish Cava (Spanish version of champagne).  

This new life is all about the quality of our experiences.  This was absolutely the best birthday celebration I could have wished for.  The only thing missing was our other daughter Jasel, but she caught up with us on Skype so it was almost perfect!