One week to go

A little less then a week to go and preparations are almost complete. I managed to quit my job without burning too many bridges, which, all things considered, I see as a major accomplishment. I decided against the marching band, balloon drop, or paragliding off the roof options, which were all considered at one point or another. Actually, there were people who I enjoyed working with and will miss. It's a weird sort of melancholy mood in leaving, where I'll miss all the good times, but still don't regret my decision to get out. It's been interesting to watch people's reaction when I tell them I'm going to Copenhagen. Some are very supportive, some pretend to be, but if you watch closely some will confirm my expectations that my career was going nowhere. Now I can chuckle to myself and silently shake my head at the dysfunction I'm leaving behind.  I plan on checking the newspapers to see what eventually happens.

With the help of some friends, my apartment is packed into a nearby storage unit with all the care of a jigsaw puzzle. Even so, I had to upgrade to a larger unit as my belongings surpassed my original expectations. Most of the past few days have been spent shuttling things back and fourth, tying up loose ends and, packing up, cleaning up, and generally getting ready. Sequencing of these events is important in having things run smoothly. Frankly the whole processes has been somewhat exhausting, and I sometimes have mixed feeling, such as when I turned in my apartment keys, or pack away some favorite items, like other bikes, paraglider, or snowboard that I didn't use this year.

Since I have no real plans of returning, I'm having a lot of "one lasts"... one last trip to the brewpub, one last trip to the shitty shopping mall, one last time buying gas. The cold and rainy weather has put a damper on some of these escapades, and seems to have people in a dreary, somber, or lazy mood. My body feels heavy from all the running around I've been doing. I'm not used to this kind of activity.

Since my lease was up five days before my flight, I've been staying on a friends futon for the past few days. This has made a good transition point where I'll do my final packing, as well as do more research and practice my Dutch. My key ring has is shrinking in sync with my responsibilities. Still, everything is under control and going to plan. Some nerves are building as my anticipation grows.  Some of my nights have been restless. Dreams of rowing solo in a large lake with round oars... seemed to work ok, but not optimal, for sure.