Talk about a hard stop. I have less than a week before I go. My banking is all sorted. (Thanks Nancy.) My legal requirements will be dealt with tomorrow. My currency is taken care of. My trip packing is well underway. I have only two trips to the gym left. (What will I do without my girls at the gym?)

Now that it’s down to the wire, I am realizing that it’s really different when you are moving countries AND moving house.

So this last week is when all the good stuff has to happen. I find when I finally stop moving for a minute, all I do is think of more things to do and add them to the list.  Most of the running around is done. It’s just organizing now. The final details of unravelling a life in Toronto.

So the two big complications are these – I’m moving house and I’m leaving the country. That means that I need to pack things and take them to my new place and everything essentially needs to be gone and the house cleaned and ready for sale before I go. It’s a weird mindset to have when I’m technically “travelling”.  There are so many things I am not able to “defer” until my return. Or leave behind for later.  I would love to. This is the point right before a trip when I start making the list of things to do when I return because there is no more time left now. But I don’t know when I’m coming back. When I do return it will be to a pile of boxes and not a home. And I have no idea where anything is and I know for sure that it is not packed in a logical order. Hell I got rid of so much stuff I don’t even know what I have or don’t have anymore.

I am finding though that the things I did have before they were either sold, thrown out, or moved, were really bloody handy in the event of a move. The bag of elastic bands that I brought from my mothers house, 8 years ago, to my place and never used and then threw out…..really need those right now. Honestly, in the last few days I have found Pinterest worthy uses for so many things I didn’t touch for years and now can’t live without.

I think I am just finding it weird that I have been at this for two straight months and now the end is here. I am down to the buzzer. Monday night when I go to bed that’s it. Whoa.

I am so enjoying the love that I am getting. I am so popular right now I can barely stand it. I am thoroughly enjoying having real, quality, meaningful, “look you in the eye because it might the last time” conversations. Maybe if I had had more of those in the past I wouldn’t be leaving. Or maybe I just need to be so grateful for having people who care about me so much and enjoy it for all its worth.

And my liberty. I am thoroughly enjoying my liberty. I am enjoying having a car. A TV. Internet enough for a phone, a laptop, Netflix and an iPad. All at once. I am enjoying the grocery store, the cool air, my knowledge of the language, my ability to find my way or to work out small problems because I already have all the information I need. I’m savouring that. I will soon become semi dependant on other people. Look out my Berbers….I’m going to need some help.

Maybe it hasn’t all sunk in yet though. As for Daisy, I always noticed that it was so easy to PLAN to quit smoking when I had a cigarette in my hand. I always thought I would be just fine without it. How hard can it be? Puff, puff. So as I sit here with my little Daisy I realize I have no idea how hard it’s going to be to say goodbye. Or to be in this house for 3 days without her. But I do know that the crying will come. For now I am enjoying her company. We snuggle and cuddle and hug. She comes everywhere with me. She sleeps with me every night where she didn’t use to. We are loving each other as best we can for as long as we can, because we can. I’ll save the crying for later.