From Mexico!!

Warning- If this post ends suddenly, it is because my man has returned to the cyber for me, and I have to get going...

So, I´m here and all is well. I´ve been here almost 10 days and only had one day of real homesickness, like how am I possibly going to live this far from so many I love. But not a bad ratio so far, huh? And my beloved FB held for as long as I wanted to cry, encouraged me then and the next day to cry whenever I need to, and proposed that if it turns out to be too hard for me to live here, he thinks it´d be easier on him to live in Rochester. I don´t at all think that´s something we want to pursue at this point, but I soooo appreciate him saying so!

Things have been going well, although very busy. FB´s job involves spending the majority of the day driving around to the homes of clients behind on their accounts. So the best way for us to accomplish the myriad of errands, etc, is for me to spend the day with him and we stop as we can. So I haven´t had much time for things like blogging...

Which, speaking of his job, please pray for God to supernaturally provide a better one. This one is very long hours (From about 930am till about 830pm with an hour for lunch...although maybe it will be slightly better when he isn´t fitting all these errands in) and not enough pay. But it´d be next to impossible to find a new one while working this one. SO...

In other news, our house is very cute. I´m very excited about that! It´s brand new, we´re the first renters. And small, but plenty for the 2 of us. And within walking distance of a couple of my best friends here.

They had a shower for me last Saturday. I was very nervous to be the center of attention for so long without Herme to help me. But it was loads of fun (the Mexican culture has a better idea of how to enjoy themselves, I think)! And we were given a nice starter set of things for the house - towels, glasses, iron and board, pans...

Hmm, I´m almost out of time on my account here, so...

I appreciate your prayers as we wind up all the details before the wedding! and for my Spanish to come quickly!

I´ll write again as I´m able - I should have a bit more time when things settle down after the wedding.

The Adventure Begins...

So, I promised a post about how God used my long engagement for good, but I'm all out of time. Suffice it to say that a year ago, I cried every time my family talked about Christmas presents and whether we should pull names since there are so many of us (I ended up being the one person that exchanged gifts with everyone), and this year I happily watched as they pulled names without including me at all. My point is, I'm not usually good with change, but I think with the long engagement I've had, God has been able to prepare me and walk me through all the emotions little by little.

I leave, as in move to another country, in an hour and a half!

My man has been here since late Thursday night, and in case anyone wasn't sure, I've got an awesome man to become my husband. This was an exhausting, overwhelming weekend for him. But he managed to walk it out quite gracefully, AND consistently put his own feelings aside to help me walk out my good-byes. Which, all things considered, I've handled pretty well. There must be people praying for me! Don't get me wrong, there were tears each time I said good-bye to the next person, but only ever a few, and I never got overwhelmed by sadness or anything.

That's a really short, doesn't do it justice, description of where I'm at and what I'm up to. But I gotta get moving.

One more thing....FB and my family really connected well, I think. Which is awesome for me.

Ok, next time I write, I'll be in Mexico. I have no clue when that will be, but I will be back. Promise.

Late :(

Remember that 2:30 arrival that I thought would maximize FB's time here?

Yeah.

Well, he missed his 1st flight, apparently. I don't know how or why. Now he won't arrive until 11pm.

Oh well.

At least this time he and I aren't limited in our time together (like when I went down there for a short visit last Christmas and my early afternoon arrival turned into a late-night arrival...)...

It just limits his time meeting my family and what-not.

I'm just hoping he gets some sleep along the way today, cause it's gonna be a long one. And I'm hoping he doesn't starve, since he has no American money to use on his now long Atlanta layover.

Soon. He will be here soon.

Little bit of good packing news

I'd been weighing all my bags on the scale we have here at my parents' house, stopping several pounds short of the limit since I didn't know how the scale at the airport would compare. I didn't want to cut it real close to the limit only to discover that our scale was off and all my bags were overweight.

So, this morning, early, and in the snow, I trekked out to the airport with one of my heaviest bags and got it weighed. It weighed the exact same amount at the airport as it did at home. That means that every bag I packed so far can hold several more pounds of stuff each. That is a HUGE help in my organizing and packing world!

Well, I'm off to pack some more :P

I think I've mentioned...

...how I hate packing!

For some reason it always turns my brain to mush. I have to put so much thought into what should go together so that breakables don't break and nothing is overweight and I can find things later...

And now the weight limits imposed by the airlines are really pretty tight. Which is extremely frustrating, because I have lots of stuff I'd like to take with me, and some nice big suitcases that can hold lots of that stuff...but if I fill them, they are overweight and I have to pay major fees :(

UPDATE: Scratch the comments on major fees. Turns out for my flight to Mexico, I'm not allowed to take anything over 50 pounds, period. It is so frustrating to have the space for the things I need to pack, but be limited by weight. Apparently shipping is more important to airlines than passengers luggage.

Like I said, it all turns my brain to mush, so this post is unfortunatly nothing inspired. But please pray for my man, as his boss informed him yesterday that he needs to work double today and tomorrow to make up for his time coming here. Which, when combined with his very early departure time Thursday and the fact that he has never flown, means there is quite the potential for him to be exhausted when he arrives. So pray for productivity, rest, strength, and easy travel.

Coming soon....how such a long engagement was probably God's way of preparing me...

Weeeee!!

FB will arrive one week from today!!!

We will be married one month from today!!!

These last few days - excitement way out-weighs sadness :)

FAQ

As suggested by a good friend, I am going to share with you all this morning the most frequently asked questions posed to me in the last several months.

So, are you (getting) excited??
This question bugs me. Are you serious? Of course I'm excited! I'm getting married!! I think this is the kind of question people ask when they don't take the time to actually think of something to talk about.

When are you leaving/when is he coming?
This question, although much more valid than the last one, has definitely gotten old. But only because until just a couple of weeks ago, I had no good answer for this. Sometimes I'd give some vague answer about what we were hoping would happen, other times I just said I had no idea. And although I think I have handled all of our ever-changing plans pretty well (thank you very much), not being able to give a good answer to this question invariably brought on a subtle roll of anxiety in my gut.

Will you work when you get there?
Umm, I was thinking that moving to another country, mastering a foreign language, and getting married would be enough major adjustments for one time. Plus, just about any job is going to require a little more Spanish than I currently have. Of course, considering our current financial status, it may become necessary. Which kind of stresses me out sometimes.

How many days?
This one is asked consistently by a few people who know how much I enjoy counting down to the wedding :) (32 days, in case you didn't notice. and only 9 until he gets here!)

Are you ready?
This one has started popping up more recently. I usually answer that I don't think it is really possible for me to know until it happens. I don't even have anything remotely close in my life to compare this to.

How are your parents with all of this?
Not a bad question, I suppose, except that the answer seems so obvious. How do you think they are doing? They feel like just about any parent would feel (at least, within a healthy family relationship)...they are excited about the marriage to a great guy, excited their daughter is happy, sad that we'll be living so far away.

The extreme repetitiveness of these questions makes me feel a bit like a high school senior (you know, when all you are ever asked is if you "know what you want to do next year/with the rest of your life?"). It's not that some of the questions aren't valid, but that so many times it feels like the person asking didn't give any thought to the conversation, just grabbed onto the easiest, most obvious question that popped into their head. It also makes me feel a bit one dimensional, if that makes sense. I truly appreciate the few who show how much they truly care (even if they do ask one of the FAQs), who you can tell stopped what they were doing or thinking about long enough to really listen and go a little deeper than the surface.

Questions I wished I was asked more often:

Is there anything I can do for you?/Do you need anything?
I don't always have a good answer for this one, but it makes me feel cared for. Luggage and cash are about the only gifts I'm accepting at this point. Help packing can be nice. Prayers are huge. Speaking of which...

How can I pray?
I love this one. There are so few tangible ways anyone can help me, but there are lots of things I'll take prayer for. My answer can vary based on who I am talking to and what other things we've already discussed, but a few of the biggies include:
-FB's job situation. His current salary does not even come close to cutting it. And I'm just talking paying the bills, not anything extra or comfort based.
-My Spanish!
-My transition. This is a huge change, and it's only gonna work by God's grace. Related to this - my emotions. To be able to process them in a healthy way without becoming overwhelmed by them. Also related - building relationships with people even though I'm not yet fluent in their language.
-Honestly, I truly worry sometimes about whether I'll be a good wife. I'm thinking that probably a lot of soon-to-be-married women have this concern. Mine is compounded by all the cultural adjustments (will I be able to make foods he likes/is used to? will homemaking skills I have here easily transfer to a place with different customs and resources? will my Spanish improve quickly enough for me to be able to communicate effectively with him?)

Of course, watch - I'll end up missing being asked all these questions once I'm surrounded by non-English speakers and missing everyone here :P

What to say?

I couldn't help but notice (you may have as well) that I have posted significantly less this month than the last couple of months. I got to wondering why that was, since I have at least as much time now for it as I have had. The conclusion I reached is that my focus is so narrow right now, I feel like I'll only be repeating myself. The cycle of emotions I posted a few days ago pretty much sums up where I am at lately.

But a couple of new things I can share...

I didn't expect to be here still for Thanksgiving. I'm truly looking forward to fully enjoying tomorrow. All of my siblings and their spouses and/or children will be there (the first time since the end of July). We'll be at my aunt's (my mom's younger sister) like we have been every year about as long as I remember. My aunt and uncle will make way too much food, we'll end up laughing hysterically with my grandmother over next to nothing...the same things that happen every year and are that much more special because of it. An extra special element this year - I am bringing my wedding dress (as well as all the extras like the veil and jewelry) to try on for my grandmother. Since the trip to Mexico would much too much for her at almost-95, I'm looking forward to being able to at least share this much of the wedding experience with her.

I've already chatted with FB about creating our own Thanksgiving tradition in Mexico. We'd have to do it on a Saturday so that people would have the time to join us. But I'm looking forward to an opportunity to share some of my traditions and memories with friends and family there.

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Just in case anyone lost track, my fiance will be here 2 weeks from tomorrow...
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Something I just recently found out about and am looking forward to quite a bit - apparently my future sisters-in-law and future landlady (also a friend) are planning a bridal shower for me the first Saturday after I arrive in Saltillo! I'm really excited to be able to see friends and celebrate with them! And since they are holding it so early after my arrival, I'll quickly have a better handle on what we'll need to purchase.

Other than that, the only real news is that plans are coming together for the few days that FB will be here. I've sent out email invites to an Open House for that Saturday, my old coworkers are planning a short shower type party for us, I'm going to talk to grandma tomorrow about a visit with her that Friday morning, and still need to talk to my grandfather about a visit with him. I'm the only one able to meet him when he arrives, as most people will be at work or school, but that will give him a little bit to reorient himself after a long day.

Well, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Cyclical emotions

Ummm... do you realize that my man will be here in 20 days??! That's right - less than 3 weeks from now. Do you also realize that only a few short days after he arrives, we'll leave together - as in, I will make a permanent move to another country??!

This knowledge sends me through the following cycle of emotions:

1) I'm so excited I want to jump up and down because there are only 20 short days until I can see the love of my life!! And where every other time I've seen him, I've had to leave him less than 2 weeks later - this time I will be seeing him every day indefinitely!!

2) I become almost paralyzed at the thought of packing for a move to another country. I have moved many times in my life, including 9 moves in the last 11 years (is that not ridiculous??). But to move to another country? One far enough away that I am flying, not driving - meaning anything and everything I want to bring with me needs to fit into a suitcase. Oh, and each suitcase has to fit the ever lowering weight limit unless I want to pay exorbitant fees - meaning I have to think very carefully about which items I pack together in each suitcase.

3) Ok, quick disclaimer on this one: I have never been more sure of something in my life. I absolutely know that this move is exactly what I want to and should do. BUT - I am slightly in shock that in a little more than 3 weeks, I am going to move to another country. I am, as in, me - the girl who has lived within a 5 mile radius her whole life (minus one or 2 years that were less than 15 miles out).

4) A deep sadness about all the people who I love and care about who will be here while I am there, and how very much I will miss them.

5) A bit of disbelief, in a fairy-tale, very happy kind of way, that I am actually getting married - to a man that I love and respect very, very much. And just to put the icing on the cake, so to speak, I am beginning to feel like I will truly look like a princess on my wedding day. (Have I mentioned how much I like my dress? And jewelry? And how I now have the perfect make-up? Oh, I have? Ok, good.)

On a related note, a friend recently mentioned how she will soon be celebrating her 9th anniversary. There have been many times that I have reassured myself that I have not been single all that long, that I am still relatively young, etc. And then a friend mentions she's been married almost 9 years (and she was a senior in college when she married - an adult, by most everyone's standards), and I realize that I actually have been a single adult woman for quite a while. I've kinda gotten used to it, in fact, and have learned to enjoy many aspects of it (not that I ever enjoyed it enough to want to stay single!). I'm thinking married life might be a bit of an adjustment.

Anyone else tired yet? Because I am. This transition stuff is exhausting.

Details!!

I've mostly avoided having to figure out and put together all the wedding details thus far. Mostly because I'm so far away that I can't be the one actually figuring things out, and partly because we've had a pretty long engagement so it was easy to put things off. But not anymore. We're down to 6 1/2 weeks until the wedding (oh my gosh! that is soooo soon!!) So, lots of final details need to be dealt with. And I've actually made some very good progress in recent days.

Over the weekend, former roommates helped me finish off finding my wedding day jewelry. We had a great time hanging out, including dinner (with dessert!) beforehand. And I do believe the jewelry is perfect! :)

Yesterday I had a make-up appointment with a woman from church that sells Mary-K. I realized recently that seeing as how I will be in a very small minority once I move to Saltillo, it may be difficult to find my colors and/or someone who could help me choose the right look for the wedding day. Thanks to the fact that she was running a 1/2 off sale, I now have lots of great make-up for not so much money. And since I'm not that great with make-up, the one on one consult was very helpful.

You may remember these ring ideas from about a month ago. Well, FB definitely liked this one. So a few weeks ago, my mom and I went out ring shopping...and couldn't find anything quite like it. I was somewhat discouraged. But then we went again last Thursday. Not only did we find more than one store where we could get exactly what I was looking for, one of those stores has a sale running - if you buy a matching set, you pay for the man's and the woman's is free! Thankfully, it appears that ring sizes are standard between here and Mexico, so now that I have FB's ring size, I can get those ordered tonight or tomorrow. From what I was told, the rings should be in before I leave.

I've been making my head spin today while researching my options on how to transfer my money from here to there. (I haven't come up with a bank yet that has branches in both places, so it looks like I need to close my account here and get all of my money there somehow...)

I'm sure there's more that I'm not thinking of in the moment, but I don't want to bore you all to tears, so I won't try too hard to think of what I'm forgetting. ;)