the moving diaries: week 9 update

Happy Saturday friends! As I mentioned in June I thought that for the next year it would be interesting and helpful to those that might be moving to document and share some behind the scenes things of our moving experience. Five weeks ago, I shared our week four update, and today I am looking forward to sharing a very brief update. To be honest, we are a bit exhausted so in the weeks to come I look forward to updating more things specifically. If you are wanting to follow along on some specific highlights or questions I have answered through instagram you can do so HERE (Part 1) and HERE (Part 2). If you are interested in reading more of the updates you can click on the links below:

Post #1: The Beginning

Post #2: Week 1 Update

Post #3: 5 Tips for Staying Healthy During a Long Distance Move

Post #4: Week 2 Update

Post #5: 5 Amazon Prime Deals for Moving Items

Post #6: Week 3 Update

Post #7: Week 4 Update

Post #8: Housing Update for Albany

Post #9: Week 9 Update

For today, I wanted to share something very special that happened on Thursday...As you can see from the picture above...it was a gorgeous couple of hours by the lake... but as I shared on Instagram, there was more to the story. Here is what I shared...

I could leave that caption there & it would be true, but often times the story behind the picture holds infinite value as it is here. I have been getting a lot of messages from people who are struggling this summer with so many mixed emotions, feelings, &experiences & my heart truly goes out to you. In this space of social media it can look like things are always just a gorgeous couple of hours when there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

This move has been good but HARD. It's been months, & weeks &days of intense work, thousands of hours, lots of tears, LOTS of details & lots of energy that only those doing a long distance move can only understand. At the end of an intense year of teaching (my first back after my health crisis) I was exhausted in deep ways. To go into a strenuous move alone with my mom was overwhelming each day. YES, we were met with a hundred thousand different details that were blessings, but after a week of traveling back & forth to TN, finalizing the moving, a broken toe, preparing for a treatment round, my mom's hurt knee &back, my pulled back, & then other private things, we arrived back at the cabin to deal with an intense cabin situation...&our uhaul still needing to be unloaded...&after hiring someone who didn't show up I was in tears from exhaustion & discouragement...and exhaustion.

I found out that dear old friends were in town & texted desperately for help & Nate & Wes arrived & in less than an hour had our uhaul unloaded & packed in one of the cabins, helped unpack our car, &helped turn the trailer (not an easy feat in a woods). It may sound simple but I wept after they left because it created a ripple of hopeful & blessing circumstances, including the opportunity to truly rest for a couple of hours for the first time in months....all because two people gave of their time...

So this afternoon was a treasure mostly because of the sacrifice of time & the helping that went beyond what words could express...it's not easy as single women & I am deeply challenged to look around more & help those who may need this same ripple of hope today...

Want to catch up on all of the moving updates? Click below to read through the specific posts!