Alost there!

I could not sleep at all last night and had a bloody nose yesterday.  I think the packing stressed me out!  I wrested with my three suitcases most of the day trying to make them all 50 pounds or less.  I think I am bringing way too much but I've never lived overseas so I'm not sure what I will need.  I had to bring lots of clothes because my size changes sometimes!  ha! 

My Dad flew down to Houston on Wednesday.  I had sold my car, Mr. blue earlier in the day so Vicki was kind enough to take me to pick up my dad at the airport.  We got the Uhaul truck, loaded it up, cleaned the house, and went to bed at 7:30pm.  I got up at 3 am and by the time both of us were ready and the house finished it was 4:45 before we left.  We got out of Houston lickity split that early in the morning!  We drove up through east TX to Texarkana, then to Little Rock, Memphis, St. Louis, then home.  We stopped around 8 and stayed the night in Missouri.  Dad said he was good to go on driving all the way home, but I really wanted out of the truck!  I am going to have to be on a plane that long soon and I wanted to stretch my legs.  We got home and Dad had forgotten to bring his house key.  The spare key was not where it was supposed to be.  I checked all the doors and windows but they were locked - dad was planning on breaking a pane out of the front door when I found the spare keys on the ground!  whew!

On Saturday I went shopping with my very pregnant sister!  We got some baby stuff, a new purse for me, and a map of India.  I got Charlotte some elephant clothes - I've become obsessed with elephants since I found out I'm moving to India!  I spent the afternoon at her house.  She and Ben recently moved into his grandparent's rental house.  Ben grilled for the whole family.  My parents, brothers, Becky,  Aunt Carol, Uncle Rod, Aunt Jeannie, AJ and Emma all came out and we had a lot of fun.

On Sunday Dad worked on the dryer and I worked on packing - neither of us were very successful!!

On Monday morning Bri and Ben came over and went with Dad and I to eat at IHOP before I went to the airport.  Stacy met us there to say goodbye.   Stacy lived in my dorm in college, we lived together in urbana when we student taught, we lived together in Houston for 5 years and for the last 6 years have lived in houses 2 blocks away from each other!

I have decided all my Illinois friends and family need to stop laughing at me when I complain it is cold at 40 degrees!!  You should have heard all the belly aching about the heat right now!!  It has been high 90s/100 in central Il for a week or so now and wow... these people do not like the heat!  It is like this every single day for about 4 months in Houston.  and it's gonna be like that all the time in India.  Doesn't bother me at all.  but I don't like the cold!!!!

I am at the Bloomington airport waiting to fly to New York.  Going to spend the night with Sara in Brooklyn.  Have to drag all these sorry suitcases out of JFK, in a cab, and up two stories to Sara's.  Then tomorrow I have to drag them to Newark!  augh!  I will get used to this international living and pack a lot lighter :)