Let me start by saying that Scott, Jolie and I safely made it to Minnesota Sunday afternoon. It’s all still very surreal, yet there’s something about stepping out into 16 degrees that slaps you in the face and screams “You live here now!”
Despite the low number on the thermometer, it was a beautifully sunny and clear day–it didn’t actually feel that much colder than Seattle.
Jolie may beg to differ on that one.
"Wait a second...I thought you said this white stuff was frosting...?"
The fact that we’ve officially moved hasn’t quite hit me yet. We’re staying with my in-laws, who we visit at least once a year, so it still sort of feels like just another family vacation. Although we normally visit them in July, so the snow is a bit of a change.
This morning's view from the back deck
I’m sure once we start house-hunting later reality will start to set in. Especially as homes in the town we’re moving too are a little more, um, rustic that our urban condo in Seattle.
"Wood" seems to be a common theme in all of the rentals we've considered.
Wood paneling, wood counters, wood ceilings. You name it, it’s wood.
Looks like I may have to revise my ”Mid-century modern meets Danish minimalism” decorating concept.
Although we haven’t found our new home yet, I’m just happy to finally be here. After getting back from Hawaii, we had less than one week to pack everything up and get out-of-town, which was exhausting, to say the least. Add to this the fact that I didn’t take any time off of work, and was battling the cold of the decade. It was a recipe for disaster.
Or a recipe for a party.
Remember my birthday gone wrong that ended at Zayda Buddy’s Minnesota Pizza Bar?
Scott and I returned to Zayda’s for our Minnesota-themed going away party.
Yes, we threw ourselves a going away party. We’re going to make you miss us whether you like it or not.
Zayda Buddy’s serves tater tot hot dish, names their pizza’s after Norwegian Vikings, and plays Minnesota hockey on all of the big screens. It was the obvious choice.
No, it was the only choice.
I woke up on Saturday feeling sick as a dog: miserable, crabby and congested. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the day cleaning our condo before we left.
And I really didn’t want to go to my party.
But, a girl only moves from Seattle to Minnesota once, so I rallied. After hours of vacuuming, touch up painting, and somehow cleaning the bathroom despite the fact that all of our cleaning supplies were already packed and on their way to Minnesota, it was time make one last pilgrimage to Zayda Buddy’s.
I popped some DayQuil, slapped on some lipstick and walked across the street to self-medicate with a few spicy bloody marys.
I must have done something right — Scott, Jolie and I, along with 50 of our closest friends, shut the place down.
Ya, sure, you betcha.
I was beyond touched that so many of our friends were able to come celebrate with us. The last two and half years in Seattle have been some of our best yet, due in large part to all of wonderful people who became a part of our lives there. Truly, I think the last time we had this many friends in one room was our wedding in 2007. Really, the only difference between the two occasions was that I chose to wear a sequined Minnesota Vikings jersey as opposed to a white gown.
Is it bad that I might actually like this jersey MORE than my wedding dress?
Also different from our wedding? The food. Instead of fancy schmancy hor ‘d’ oeuvres, we got down to business with the Chelsea Chelsea pizza.
At first glance, it looks like a perfectly innocent pepperoni pizza. And then you realize it's covered in macaroni and cheese. I should probably mention that after demolishing this delightful meal we proceeded to pound a bucket of fried cheese curds.
Again, pretty sure I liked the food at Zayda’s better than the food at my wedding. If all of the food in Minnesota is like this, I’m going to need jeans with an elastic waistband.
I really hope it doesn’t come to that.
The party lasted until two in the morning, at which point, a large group of friends came over to our empty condo for wine, chit-chat, and wrestling.
Yes, wrestling. This is my husband we’re talking about, after all.
It's amazing how much space there is to wrestle when all your furniture is gone.
The same husband who actually said “Wow, we should have gotten rid of all our stuff a long time ago. I could have been wrestling in here all along!”
So apparently, he is on board with my Danish minimalism decorating scheme.
After a few hours of wrestling, and one last look around the place, it was 5:00 am — time to leave for the airport.
That’s right, I pulled an all-nighter, despite being sick with the plague and exhausted from a week of working and moving.
But for one last night on the town with my friends? Totally worth it.
Leaving a city full of people I love behind is beyond difficult, yet I can’t help but think of all the new friends we will hopefully make in Small Town.
It may require posting a desperate ad on Craigslist, but I will make friends in this new town if it kills me.
Considering Craiglist’s track record, it just might literally kill me.
All jokes aside, with new places come new adventures, new experiences and most importantly, new relationships.
If I had never moved to Nebraska, I wouldn’t know Lindsay, Krista, Kori, Sara or Katie.
If I had never blindly relocated to Syracuse, I wouldn’t have met Tim and Robyn, Vanessa and Streeter, Margaret, Barbara, Andy, Tim…the list goes on.
And if two and a half years ago, Scott and I hadn’t trekked across the country to move into a tiny little condo in Ballard, we would never have crossed paths with most of the people who celebrated with us on Saturday.
Thinking about the friends we have made, and the ones we have yet to make literally warms my heart.
Which is a good thing, because it’s really freaking cold outside.
I think this shirt would look AWESOME with my new elastic waistband jeans. And it will obviously help me make lots of new friends. Duh.
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