Preparing for the unknown: probably one of those things we try to do for various reasons throughout our lives. That is, if you're a Planner like I am. (Do spontaneous people do that too, or is it just the presumption of those of us with a need for control?)
If you're like my father-in-law, you stockpile nonperishables and batteries in a corner of your basement. I try to anticipate all foreseeable outcomes to an event.
So you can imagine how the waiting [see "Patience" post] is going for me. I keep reminding my husband that he has more agency in the outcome than I do, albeit it a small amount. But that doesn't keep me from planning...
...to go where, again?
Knowing we'll be creating "home" for a year in some far-flung place has made me more observant of objects. I'm trying to anticipate what I will miss once we're there. How to know precisely which books one will want months from now? I don't even know what I'm wearing tomorrow. All of those choices are so influenced by the mood and environment of the moment. Thank god for Kindles and digital music!
I have begun a very preliminary packing list, however. It was in putting away our Christmas decorations that I realized we could end up living in a culture with vastly different holiday celebrations. We may not be able to buy candy canes, let alone an evergreen. So the Christmas lights will go in the shipping container. I can worry about finding an appropriate adapter plug when we get there. There's a rug that we have in our sitting room - nothing terribly ritzy, an Ikea buy - but it has such sunny personality. That's going on the list. Less than practical items so far, it's true. Well, at least the rug would protect the floor...
But what we respond to about "home" is so much more than utility, right? Definitely something to reflect on in the coming months as we refine the packing list and to muse on further in another post.
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