If you didn't yet read how we came to move to Rhode Island, check out my previous post here!
Wednesday June 15 came quickly. We previously sold quite a few belongings and packed up a moving truck that was on the smaller side and a real gamble as to whether or not all of our stuff would fit. We cleaned our home, ready for the next family who would make precious memories there, and shed a few tears. Okay that's a lie, we shed a LOT of tears.
So, on that Wednesday, with all too fitting weather (torrential downpour for days), we put our last few things in the back of the truck, drove one car up the trailer behind the moving truck, and got our furbabies settled in the SUV. That's right- Shane drove one vehicle and I drove another. We would be embarking on this 23 hour drive as a caravan. This would be interesting!
I experienced quite a flood of miscombulated emotions. I wept for the home that I now saw in the rear-view mirror but glowed at the life that was still before us. I also was experiencing that daily anxiety over thinking I forgot something- turning off my flat iron, closing the garage door, leaving my wallet on the counter. Of course, this was all impossible- our precious house was completely empty and we wouldn't be returning there after a trip.
Day 1
Driving with our two precious, quiet, and well-behaved (where's that crying laughing emoji when I need it) for an extended period of time proved to be pretty interesting. They had never been in the car for longer than the hop, skip, and jump to the groomer or vet so the first hour of our car ride was filled with lots of anxious and curious puppy emotions. After we had that under our belts, they (and their mother) began to calm down. Bathroom stops should be smooth then, right?
WRONG!
The first time we stopped, about four hours in, was terrible! They were jumping over me to get to Shane, who they could see standing near the car, there were so many new cars, smells, and people to check out, and they were way too excited to do their business. Ugh. Getting back into the car was even worse (think smushed papillion, disrupted mirror, and a yellow lab who wedged herself between the crate and the glove compartment to get one more good look at dear ol' dad). This was all a learning experience and we had three days to figure it out.
After a blown tire, a two-hour wait in the epitome of small town Alabama, and finding a system that worked for pit stops for a family of 4, we made it about four hours shy of where we had hoped to get. Exhausted and ready to get on track, we found a dog-friendly hotel and hit the hay around Chattanooga.
Day 2
Since we didn't get as far as we hoped on day 1, we vowed to make day 2 a long day to keep day 3 nice and easy. Take it from me, anytime you look at travel estimates and you're traveling with a moving van caravan including two dogs, do yourself a favor and tack on a few extra hours of travel time. Day 2 ended up being 14 total hours... phew! Thank goodness for podcasts or I would have lost. my. mind.
We stopped for the night just past New York City and fell asleep in the last temporary spot we would see before seeing our new house for the first time!
Day 3
The day had finally arrived! We would drive another 3-4 hours and finally arrive in Tiverton, Rhode Island! Neither of us had previously seen the house we were renting- thankfully, Shane's sister, who lives about an hour away, offered to walk through houses on our behalf and FaceTime a tour. So when we arrived on June 18, it was the very first time either of us had driven down those streets and oh, how exciting it was!
We piled in the caravan around 7 that morning, stopped for a very large iced coffee (that we were carefully sipping so as not to make any bathroom stops!) and nerves, jitters, and excitement were running rampant. When we finally crossed the border into Rhode Island I had to keep reminding myself, "this is your new home! This isn't vacation. You aren't go back. This is where your next chapter begins."
Behind the moving van, I turned down the cutest little street marked with a white picket fence to the place that will hold our next year of memories.
Before even stepping foot in the house, Shane and I took a walk down to the water. Our house is situated on the best pond and has an unbelievable view that is best seen, we found out later, right from our living room.
Was this real life? Do we actually now live in Rhode Island, on the water, experiencing this perfect weather AND are just a hop, skip, and jump away from family who is willing to come help us unload that moving truck we just carted up the the east coast? Pinch yourselves, Reillys. This is real and it's just now begun.
Stay tuned for life as it unfolds in Rhode Island for this Southern gal. Teaser: our house doesn't have air conditioning, I had to pull out my slippers from my "winter clothes" box, people don't know who "y'all" is around here, and I experienced my first 4th of July in one of the 13 original colonies.
Wednesday June 15 came quickly. We previously sold quite a few belongings and packed up a moving truck that was on the smaller side and a real gamble as to whether or not all of our stuff would fit. We cleaned our home, ready for the next family who would make precious memories there, and shed a few tears. Okay that's a lie, we shed a LOT of tears.
So, on that Wednesday, with all too fitting weather (torrential downpour for days), we put our last few things in the back of the truck, drove one car up the trailer behind the moving truck, and got our furbabies settled in the SUV. That's right- Shane drove one vehicle and I drove another. We would be embarking on this 23 hour drive as a caravan. This would be interesting!
I experienced quite a flood of miscombulated emotions. I wept for the home that I now saw in the rear-view mirror but glowed at the life that was still before us. I also was experiencing that daily anxiety over thinking I forgot something- turning off my flat iron, closing the garage door, leaving my wallet on the counter. Of course, this was all impossible- our precious house was completely empty and we wouldn't be returning there after a trip.
Day 1
Driving with our two precious, quiet, and well-behaved (where's that crying laughing emoji when I need it) for an extended period of time proved to be pretty interesting. They had never been in the car for longer than the hop, skip, and jump to the groomer or vet so the first hour of our car ride was filled with lots of anxious and curious puppy emotions. After we had that under our belts, they (and their mother) began to calm down. Bathroom stops should be smooth then, right?
WRONG!
The first time we stopped, about four hours in, was terrible! They were jumping over me to get to Shane, who they could see standing near the car, there were so many new cars, smells, and people to check out, and they were way too excited to do their business. Ugh. Getting back into the car was even worse (think smushed papillion, disrupted mirror, and a yellow lab who wedged herself between the crate and the glove compartment to get one more good look at dear ol' dad). This was all a learning experience and we had three days to figure it out.
After a blown tire, a two-hour wait in the epitome of small town Alabama, and finding a system that worked for pit stops for a family of 4, we made it about four hours shy of where we had hoped to get. Exhausted and ready to get on track, we found a dog-friendly hotel and hit the hay around Chattanooga.
Day 2
Since we didn't get as far as we hoped on day 1, we vowed to make day 2 a long day to keep day 3 nice and easy. Take it from me, anytime you look at travel estimates and you're traveling with a moving van caravan including two dogs, do yourself a favor and tack on a few extra hours of travel time. Day 2 ended up being 14 total hours... phew! Thank goodness for podcasts or I would have lost. my. mind.
We stopped for the night just past New York City and fell asleep in the last temporary spot we would see before seeing our new house for the first time!
 |
| my view for the 23 hours we spent on the road |
Day 3
The day had finally arrived! We would drive another 3-4 hours and finally arrive in Tiverton, Rhode Island! Neither of us had previously seen the house we were renting- thankfully, Shane's sister, who lives about an hour away, offered to walk through houses on our behalf and FaceTime a tour. So when we arrived on June 18, it was the very first time either of us had driven down those streets and oh, how exciting it was!
We piled in the caravan around 7 that morning, stopped for a very large iced coffee (that we were carefully sipping so as not to make any bathroom stops!) and nerves, jitters, and excitement were running rampant. When we finally crossed the border into Rhode Island I had to keep reminding myself, "this is your new home! This isn't vacation. You aren't go back. This is where your next chapter begins."
Behind the moving van, I turned down the cutest little street marked with a white picket fence to the place that will hold our next year of memories.
Before even stepping foot in the house, Shane and I took a walk down to the water. Our house is situated on the best pond and has an unbelievable view that is best seen, we found out later, right from our living room.Was this real life? Do we actually now live in Rhode Island, on the water, experiencing this perfect weather AND are just a hop, skip, and jump away from family who is willing to come help us unload that moving truck we just carted up the the east coast? Pinch yourselves, Reillys. This is real and it's just now begun.
Stay tuned for life as it unfolds in Rhode Island for this Southern gal. Teaser: our house doesn't have air conditioning, I had to pull out my slippers from my "winter clothes" box, people don't know who "y'all" is around here, and I experienced my first 4th of July in one of the 13 original colonies.
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