a getting emptier everyday apartment

This past Monday I ended up off-loading a lot of furniture.  I mean, a lot.  So basically all I have left is my bed...and my hamper (a constant reminder that I still have to do laundry before I leave).  Other than this, I am living among boxes (which will be shipped to Dayton this Saturday) and, dare I say, a vast amount of empty space.  


Well, as vast as it can get in a studio apartment anyway. 


I am so close to leaving that I can taste it.  I can see the visual markers of my drive out of AZ - the sign welcoming me to New Mexico, the flat roads of Texas signaling my arrival in Lubbock to end the first leg of my trip.  It is all so wonderful, and yet I still have a week to go.  So for now, I live among the boxes and space, all the while trying to calm what I believe to be a nervous dog who maybe thinks she is not coming with me.  If only she knew what was in store... 


Speaking of my trip, I don't think I have detailed much of this at all, so this may be a great time to do so.  I will be blogging from the road, but here is a (somewhat) detailed itinerary for the time between my leaving AZ and moving into my house in OH...


29 June: Leave Tucson, AZ for Lubbock, TX (ETA: 4:00a 30 June 2011 CST)
I will be seeing my friend Christina in the L-B-K, who I have not seen for about a year and a half.  I was unable to make it out to see her for Thanksgiving this past year, but always love seeing her and her two beautiful kids.  I have been told her daughter Avery, who is around 2ish, has taken to dancing in the kitchen.  Bring it, Av!  


5 July: Leave Lubbock, TX for Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, WY (ETA: late afternoon)
I will be staying with my college roommate Justin, his wife Sharon, and their baby boy Alec.  I cannot wait to see them all, as the last time I saw Justin and Sharon was when I was standing at their wedding (which was absolutely beautiful and definitely reinvigorated my belief in love).  I have never held Alec, so I will enjoy the chance to do so and be in the company of some very dear friends.  


8 July: Leave Cheyenne, WY for Iowa City, IA (ETA: whenever I can get through all of NE)
From Wyoming I will be headed to Iowa City to see my friend Alandis and my graduate school mentor Tracy.  Landi and I are new friends, and she is graciously hosting Grrtrude and I.  Tracy is wonderful, and has offered his house as well, but I told him I would just steal him for dinner one night instead of imposing on he and his family.  It will be nice to be back in the Midwest, and I just love Iowa City.  Heck, I thought about getting my PhD there!  Plus, this will mean most of the loooong drives will be behind me (except the last leg of my journey).  


10 July: Leave Iowa City, IA for Dayton, OH (ETA: early enough to have dinner with Rachel and Keri)
Heading to Dayton will be exciting, as I will be staying with two cherished friends in Rachel and Keri.  These two fine people are allowing me to store my books and whatnot at their place during the summer.  So.  Dang.  Nice.  I am hoping to have some fun time with both Rachel and Keri and will get to explore Dayton during the day while they work.  Fun fact: Dayton is less than an hour from my new home in Oxford, so I will get to play with Rachel and Keri a lot!  


12 July: Leave Dayton, OH for Louisville (pronounced: Luhvul), KY (ETA: 8:00a EST)
I will then go to Kentucky for the ACPA Summer Leadership Meeting.  This is something will be doing as a part of my responsibilities as the Chair of the Standing Committee for Men and should be a nice time to explore a bit.  I am looking forward to checking out the Brown Hotel, which was the scene of Chuck and Cindy: The Wedding (if you have no clue what this is a reference to, Netflix Elizabethtown and behold the awesomeness of the Chuck Point).  


15 July: Leave Dayton, OH for Twinsburg, OH (ETA: dinnertime)
After heading back to Dayton after the SLM, I will be headed to Twinsburg to see Hilary, Scott, their two amazing kids Colin and Kiley, and their beautiful dog Shaggy.  Hil was my undergraduate career counselor and now works at John Carroll University.  I stayed with her and the fam on my way out to AZ four years ago, so it will be nice to reconnect.  Colin is quite the little hockey fan, so now that I will be at a school with one of the better men's hockey programs in the country, I will be getting us all tickets for a game or two.  


16 July: Leave Twinsburg, OH for Syracuse, NY
Syracuse is home to Brad, an amazing friend from my college days, as well as Chase and Steph.  While Chase is a newer friend, I have grown to love him dearly and am excited to meet his partner Steph.  It will be a nice way to be welcomed back to the East Coast, of which I consider the great state of NY a part.  


18 July: Leave Syracuse, NY for the BK, NY
I can almost feel it now - the hot breeze running through the streets of Brooklyn as I walk Grrtrude through the neighborhoods and parks of one of the best cities in the country.  I will be landing in NYC with my brother Adam for about 11 days and will be taking in galleries, drinking beers on rooftops, and seeing the city from the saddle of my bike.  


30 July: Leave NYC, NY for Boston, MA
If New York City is one of the best cities in the country, Boston most certainly is right up there as well.  Adam, his boo Rachel, Grrtrude, and myself will be heading to Beantown for a weekend with the extended family.  Mom will also be meeting us in the city on the 31st, after which she will drive with me up to NH, where I will spend the next leg of my journey.  


31 July: Leave Boston, MA for Deerfield, NH
After much driving, it will be nice to finally be at my ultimate East Coast destination.  I will spend a week with my Mom in her beautiful cottage where I will get in some great hilly riding, go fabric shopping for new curtains, and just enjoy the soothing quiet on her deck.  Grrtrude will love the woods too - it will be fun to see her experience the East Coast, and I will likely head to the beach for an evening walk or two with her.  


6 August: Leave Deerfield, NH for Dayton, OH
14 hours in a car with my Mom and Grrtrude can only mean one thing: I will be one day away from getting the keys to my new place in Oxford!  Rachel and Keri are playing host again, and Grrtrude will get some more time with her new playmate Albus the terrier.  


7 August: Leave Dayton, OH for Oxford, OH (ETA: 9:00a EST at the latest)
Finally I will be...home!  It will be amazing to move into my new place with my Mom by my side.  We are going to spend the first day going to Ikea and Target and then are going to start to unpack!  Mom will spend about 4 days with me, which will be amazing!  She will also get to come see me consult, as I have a gig at the University of Dayton doing some training with Resident Assistants on sexual assault prevention, so that will be awesome too. I haven't taken a trip with my Mom in a very very long time, so it will be amazing to have her company.


Well, I think that is it.  It all makes me tired looking at it, but I know it will be gorgeous and just a wonderful five weeks.  Pictures and posts will come from the road, but until then, I still have one more week left here in Tucson, AZ.