Thirty-two
days, one month, a little more than four weeks is the time we have until we
land in Panama as retirees, soon to be residents and not tourists (okay, that
week we should get permanent residency and our permanent cards). Now I really am not counting, because I know it is going to go by so fast. Am I really ready? Are we ready, Ray? haha I have been asked quite a bit in the past month if I am nervous. Nervous is the farthest emotion from my mind. Truly. How about sad? Melancholy? Yep. We were at a wedding this past weekend. One of our daughter's best friends got married (the other bestie was married last year), and having not seen them for quite a while and not knowing when I would see these girls again, well, sad would be the emotion. But not depressed, blah or unhappy about our plans for the future. How about excited? Eager. Fired up about this crazy idea. But for the first five months there (until the end of November), it will be sort of like an extended vacation. Getting settled in, making the rounds, taking day trips learning our way around. Guilty? Heck yeah. Wait. Strike that in a way. The definition of guilty is feeling remorseful, ashamed, sorry or even regretful. Sheesh, I hope we don't have regrets! But what I am feeling is that we could not possibly be doing something so adventurous, exciting and crazy while my family and friends are here working and living their life the way I think we should still be living ours. Or the way I assumed I would still be living mine at age forty nine. In a way, I feel a little apologetic perhaps? I think I need to get over all of this. I have four weeks to figure this out. And like the song says, "don't worry, be happy".
It is again hot here in Virginia. It is July after all. Friends of ours (yes, you know them well—Clyde and Terry) wrote in an
email that the US is hotter than Chame, Panama right now. I believe it.
The heat and humidity can be oppressive.
Two years ago I posted in this blog that the heat index this week was one hundred
five degrees. Well yesterday, while
sitting in a movie theater watching the movie "Tammy" (funnier than I thought and really the only movie out that we sort of wanted to see) with our one Lake Anna roomie (she is on vacation
here for the week spending quality time with us), it felt like one hundred nine
degrees. No floating for a while. The lake water isn’t all that cool and
refreshing, and today it is cloudy and rainy on and off. Right now, at eleven am, it is eighty-seven degrees with a heat index of one hundred. Surprisingly I am on the porch with the ceiling fan on high, and with the breeze, it is survivable. I am trying to get acclimated, and I still try to walk in the heat. Tomorrow and Saturday, it will be low eighties and fantastic! The other Lake Anna roomie, her fiancé and a sister are coming to the house early tomorrow morning and tonight. Just in time for great sunshine and cooler temps. My daughter is coming on Saturday night (Lake Anna puts off fireworks on Saturday night). I just set up a few July 4th banners on the deck with Ray's help, and it is now stinking hot. Inside for the rest of the day for me.
On Sunday, Ray and I are taking a road trip to Nashville with our daughter for the week. It is on our list of places in the States to visit, and since Ray loves country music along with Carly, we figured why not. It is a doable road trip from Bumpass, VA. And on the way back, we will visit his mom for a short while, so she can get together and visit with her granddaughter (and us, too). We are soaking up the days in VA, and I just spent the day at an amusement park with Carly this past Tuesday. She was stuck with me for the day. It was a hot day, but there were NO lines to wait in, since everyone was at the water park. Excellent. Great day catching up with her one on one and riding those roller coasters! Great time at the wedding last weekend with her and her boyfriend having good conversation and dancing a lot. This road trip is going to be one of the first vacations in a long time (?) where it is just the three of us. I don't even know if I can remember when we didn't have friends go along with us and when she didn't have a friend go along with her. I am looking so forward to hanging out with her being a tourist, shopping and listening to some music play in the bars and restaurants along Broadway Street.
Ray and I are tidying up Panama in a neat little bow, slowly thinking about what we will need and want to take this trip, and what can be saved until the next trip in December. We are thinking about what day will be best to fly back into the city after Christmas. And what day will be best to drive to the interior, since the Panamanians will be leaving for the beaches. Mostly Ray is doing all of the thinking. I will wait for a few more weeks. I just want to be here in thought today.
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