The Next Chapter

And so it begins…

After over a year of spitting out “what ifs,” logging more research hours than I can wrap my brain around, and obsessing about the tiniest details of a cross-global move (how many “to do” lists can one person realistically make in one day…some days I stopped counting), Michael and I are ready to make the leap across the pond; a very, very big leap: Tucson, Arizona to Hawalli, Kuwait for those keeping score.

So we’ve had a bit of time on our hands this summer…

…believe me I consider this a blessing. Michael and I both needed the time to decompress and get ourselves into the right head space for this adventure. So in the glory that is endless hot summer days in Arizona, we had many pool outings, slept late, read thoroughly, and watched a few of our favorite shows. Repeatedly. As I create a format for this particular post, I recall the last couple minutes of a very amusing episode of “How I Met Your Mother” in which the character Barney (Neil Patrick Harris with impeccable comedic timing) details an adult-content top ten list in perfect Letterman-form that I’ve been mimicking all summer. So thanks to Dave and Neil for the following:

TOP TEN THINGS ABBY (& MICHAEL, TOO) WILL MISS ABOUT TUCSON:
Ten: Monday nights at Club Congress…eighties music until I can cabbage patch no more. I’m looking at you, Cammie Jan.
Nine: More delicious Mexican (or Central American) food than can be consumed in a lifetime of living in the Old Pueblo. Our favorites still include El Guero Canelo, Guadalajara Grill, Café Poca Cosa, and Maya Quetzal.
Eight: Shooting a shotgun in the desert for the very first time. Scary? Never. Empowering? Unbelievably so.
Seven: THRIFT STORES. My friends, if you want the most amazing deals on name brand thrift clothes, pick up a “Tucson Shopper,” clip the 50% off coupon for the 22nd Street Thrift Store, and drive out to Pantano and 22nd (the store is across from Skate Country).
Six: The teachers, students, and staff of SUSD and Drexel in particular; you helped us grow and learn personally and professionally in astounding ways.
Five: The ladies I love. You know who you are…good food, good advice, good wine, good shoulders to cry on, and good laughs.
Four: The Hut. Good local live music, great bartenders, and more good drinks and conversations than I can recall (drunk and/or sober). Dancing on the ginormous bar table during the Christmas party stands out in particular.
Three: Arizona has the desert, the sunsets, and soaking serenely in hot springs as a full moon rises. I dare nature to wow me like this more and I will be a happy lady.
Two: Dancing. Everywhere…with all of you! Or in Michael’s case: jammin’, everywhere, with all of you!
One: Our friends: we care about you more than words or actions can sometimes ever express. You have been our family while we’ve lived in Tucson and we will never forget what each and every one of you has meant (and will continue to mean…) to us.