Flying Away

The day we leave Elko is almost here. Our flight is scheduled to leave Monday, April 4th at 5:30 a.m. (bright and early). The last few weeks, leading up to this day, have been somewhat exhausting and emotional.

We took some time away from Elko to visit Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. Tracy and Steve Dilts opened up their home in Henderson to us for a long weekend. My sister and her husband joined us. We took in some MWC basketball games, a couple of rounds of golf, a little bit of gambling, and a whole lot of laughing! "Walking in bad cheese," and "I'm for peace," were our weekend mottos. It's amazing how silly adults can still be when they get together! Thanks Tracy and Steve for a fantastic weekend of fun!

Between our two jobs, my book club, and our friends and family, we went to six going away parties in the past two weeks! It's amazing how many friends and family we have here in Elko, and they are all going to be missed dearly. Saying goodbye to our children has by far been the hardest....and we haven't even had to say goodbye to Daniel, yet (he's going to take us to the airport).

We have five suitcases filled to the brim, with two more carry-on pieces of luggage yet to be packed. Our bedroom is looking pretty damn empty, as not only are all of our clothes packed, but I've taken down the pictures and other wall hangings, making room for Daniel to move in when we leave.

The number one question we continue to get is, "Are you excited?" I'm not sure the adjective I would use is "excited." Rather, we are a little anxious; anxious to get started, anxious about the things we will encounter, and anxious about the changes in store for us. We're not just moving to another part of the U.S., but to a whole different continent and culture. We both know that we have made a good decision, and we are planning on taking advantage of the unique opportunities afforded us by this move. Our first R&R is in August and I'm already brainstorming on the place(s) we can visit. And no, Libya and Egypt are not on the list, so don't worry mom (Nancy) and mom (Joann)

Our flight out of Elko will take us from Elko to Salt Lake City to New York City and then to Accra, Ghana....our new home. But, know that Nevada and Wyoming (for Beth) will always be our true homes. Fortunately, technology will allow us to stay connected through Skype, email, and texting. If you don't have Skype loaded onto your computer....get 'er done!

Thanks to all who have supported us in this new phase of our life. As Tom Hanks so famously said in the movie, Apollo 13, "see you on the other side."