End in Sight

So we are finally coming up on our big move. It's taken about a year, and we are more than ready. We moved from Louisiana in November and have been in limbo living in a hotel since. Needless to say, hotel living for 2 months is not that fun. I have made a pros and cons list for anyone ever having to do the same.

Pros:
1) No cleaning; our maid has been amazing.
2) Saving money on renting a house.
3) Being jobless for two months has it's perks- frees up more time to get the endless paperwork done for moving to Guam. And time for school (getting my masters for anyone who didn't know).
4) Not having to be separated from John. This is a huge, unexpected blessing. Usually with trainings this short, wives and families don't get to live together. Of course this means living in a hotel, but it's totally worth it. And yes, having kids makes it harder, but we've seen couples here doing it.
5) There is a small grill outside our room! Big blessing for a few nights out of the week.

Cons:
1) No kitchen. Now for some of you this might have been in the Pros list. However, I love to cook. It's relaxing, it's healthier, saves money, and I'm good at it.
2) Eating out all the time is not as fun as it seems. Drains your wallet, and your body.
3) There is a dining facility we can go to for lunch, but let's be honest. It's not that good. However, it has helped us save money, and it is nice deviating from the daily pb&j's.
4) One room. While John gets to leave and go to work everyday, I don't have a job. Or a house to clean. Or food to cook. So if this happens to you, make it a point to leave for a few hours each day. I have two coffee shops I go to. Tea and coffee is relatively inexpensive, and with saving on rent this is definitely worth my sanity.
5) We can't have our dog with us. Which has been nice in some ways, but anyone who has pets knows how dear they are to you. We miss her a lot! Thankfully we have family that can take care of her. If not, the only option is a kennel. For TWO months. So save up now if that's your only option.


Things to be thinking/praying about in the next month:

*That we get our car shipped out before we move. This has been the most annoying. We would love not to have to place the burden of driving to a port on family members. The biggest issue is getting a printed copy of my title. Apparently 7-10 days could mean 3-4 weeks by the state of Florida. Just in case anyone is curious ;) Pray that it makes it to our place by next week!

*That we get our paperwork and reservations done in a timely manner. I know I've mentioned paperwork before, but I'm not even kidding. There is paperwork for just about everything.

*Nala's safe travels. I hate that we have to ship her as cargo. She's a very insecure dog and gets scared easily. She also has to stay the night in Hawaii without us. Not my favorite option, but praying it will be an okay experience for her!

*Patient hearts. It's easy to get wrapped up in the list of things to do. If we could be there now, we would. Not because Guam is that exciting, but because the list can take over your life. We have learned to take time out and go on dates.

*Time with friends & family. We will have a short time before we leave. We have never been this far from loved ones!


The next time I write, we will hopefully be settled into our new home in GUAM! I'll be sure to post lots of pictures :)

-Katie