We Made It…Now, Where’s My STUFF?

So we made it to Colorado Springs! I was not sure if my feeble little nerves could take the 1400 mile road trip, but they did.

Somehow.

Probably thanks to the Good Doctor doing all the driving, keeping a positive attitude, and being our road trip cheerleader. Even still, I’m positive I was a little chit about it….every last mile of it – sorry dear. Really and truly I am.

Before I vent about the extreme ineptitude of Atlas Van Lines, let me tell you about our first stop along the way, St. Louis, MO.

We stayed on the west side of town, down the street from Washington University. What a LOVELY place. Just really lovely. After a 9.5 hour car ride on Friday, it was an oasis for us. We were right across the street from a place called Forest Park. The park is nearly 1,400 pristine acres of trails, lakes, fields, the zoo, art and science museums, etc. It was the perfect place to bring the dog for walks and to mellow out after our first long day on the road.

Then Kansas happened.

My apologies to anyone who loves Kansas, but I just barely made it across the state with any amount of sanity left. This is what our two days in Kansas looked like.

After 932,471,635 miles in Kansas we finally made it to Colorful Colorado! But really, who is this sign kidding…Eastern Colorado is about as colorful and exciting as Kansas.

Fast forward a day or two and we finally made it to the Springs. And it snowed (just a pinch, but still) on day one. Really universe?

Now, that we are here a week before the Good Doctor begins his new job, let’s start unpacking! OH WAIT – WE CAN’T BECAUSE OUR TRUCK HAS BEEN DELAYED A MILLION YEARS! Yes, caps lock is highly appropriate when you pay a moving company thooooooousands of dollars to move every article of every thing that you have ever owned! They were “supposed” to be in COS on Monday, October 27th. It is now Monday, November 3rd, and we are still waiting.

I won’t dump all of my very mean, very vile, very violent thoughts about Atlas Van Lines on you. I’ve already done so to corporate. I just thought I would let you know.

In the mean time, here is our answer to not having anything: A trip to Costco for a TV and an air mattress. Talk about emotional spending.

I wish I could tell you that I’m learning some very valuable life lesson about how “stuff” adds no real value, or how beautiful it is to simplify, etc. etc. But I am not. I need my things. I have carefully chosen all of my possessions and each and every one has a use. Sure, there may be a time when it’s nice to sit back and think about how to cleanse your everyday life from all the “stuff”, but not after a move across country. No. It is not OK that we’ve had to buy many dollar signs worth of duplicates just to get along as we wait for our incompetent moving van. I packed an ultra light suitcase designed to last 4 days on the road, not 14.

If you could see me now in this state of extreme vexation, I doubt you would still want to be my friend. It’s ugly. I should stop before I get all foamy at the mouth again. Hopefully my next story will be a happier one.