Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Packing up


I’m spending my time packing for home this week. We leave Pennsylvania bright and early Friday morning and plan to be back in the Beehive State on Sunday! Since we’ve been married Sean and I have moved 12 times. Yes, 12. Actually, after this week it will be lucky number 13. The end of our moving madness is just around the bend. We’ve lived our lives in four and eight month increments for so long, I don’t have any idea what it is like to live somewhere for longer than that! I’m excited to find out.

I’ll tell you what though; I have gotten pretty darn good at packing everything we need for the summer into a Honda Accord. It’s funny because each year we end up taking less and less. I guess you start to realize just how little you need and that it’s not worth hauling extra stuff across the nation. It’s also funny because when you get home, things like a toaster and kitchen-aid seem like luxury items!

Summer sales has been a great experience for us. I can’t believe we’ve (I guess I should be saying Sean) done this for five summers now. I can see how outsiders can look at the industry with a skeptical eye—especially since the only stories you seem to hear stem from dishonest or unethical sales reps. I’ll tell you what though, I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences this job has provided us. We’ve made friendships for life and travelled all over this country. This job afforded us the opportunity to be financially independent, get through school and to see doctors to help us start a family. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but I truly believe it has been a giant blessing for us.

Purely for my own enjoyment, I thought I’d take a trip down memory lane and list some of my favorites from the past few summers:

-Searching for shells and sand dollars on Kiawah Island in South Carolina
-Visiting Navy Pier and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago
-Touring Independence Hall and seeing the Liberty Bell
-Living close to my Uncle Brien and Aunt Jane in Colorado Springs
-Touring historic plantations around Charleston- I especially loved the bridges at Magnolia Plantation
-Visiting Washington D.C and seeing the monuments, the national archives, Arlington Cemetery, White House and Smithsonian Museums
-Sitting in rocking chairs with my family out on the big porch at Mount Vernon
-Going to see Wicked with Sean in NYC
-Hanging at the pool and reading US Weekly with friends. Also watching Heidi and Rob's kids turn into fish :)
-Finding great new places to eat like Lou Malnatis, Nona Rosa’s, California Dreamin’, Manny’s, Pat’s King of Steaks, Panera and Wawa!
-Visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown
-Attending “Taste of Chicago”
-Riding in a flat-bottom boat through the Lilly pads with Sean at Cypress Gardens
-Hanging with friends at Folley Beach
-Going to Nauvoo with Sean and his parents
-Visiting King’s Dominion and riding a roller coaster that I thought would kill me

It’s been a great run and we’re excited to be coming home. One more drive across the nation and on to our next adventure!

8 comments:

LudvigsonFamily said...

Hi Jenny! I just love reading your blogs! Good luck with the packing and driving back home. This summer has been different not being away from home, but I can say I like Utah dry summers better then the east coast humid ones!! How is your pregnancy going? I am sure you have heard we are expecting to! When is your due date? I think we are pretty close to the same date as you are. That will be fun. We find out on the 22nd what we are having! Take care and I hope to see you soon!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Last summer huh? Pretty exciting. I love reading all about your fun summer adventures and miss having my own! We loved it too and are also grateful for the many opportunities it afforded. Hope it's been a great summer for ya and you guys enjoy the trip back in Utah! (Ah, just thinking a road trip sans children makes me jealous . . .) Hehe. Hope you're doing well. Brit :o)

Bridget said...

Yeah you are coming home. Lets do lunch when it settles down for you. So like next week. Ha Ha just kidding but really call when you get settled and when you find out what that baby is. Love you. Talk to you soon.

Cassi said...

I'm jealous! Oh how I wish we were heading home this week too but not too much longer. And oh, I'm even more jealous that it's your last summer. It is quite a different life, being married to a salesman. It has it's pros and cons but we just have to keep our eye on the pros! Good luck with law school and I look forward to many pregnant get-togethers!

Tenise said...

Congrats! I'm jealous that you're heading home so early! Is Sean going too? We've still got a couple more weeks, then packing, then driving with the kids.. Fun!

I hope this is our last summer. We've hoped that before, so we'll see.. I so do not like the cross country drives. I think I'd rather shoot my foot than try it next year with three kids.

Congrats again on your baby! I'm excited to hear more about that!

Cecily said...

Good luck on driving back home!

Mark and Lachelle said...

I can't believe you guys have moved that much!!! I hate moving, but my experience from summer sales this year...pack as little as possible!! I tend to be a pack rat, so it was hard to choose which stuff to take with us, that would fit into 1 car! But summer sales was totally worth it! If you work hard, it's rewarding! Good luck on your drive back home!

Tenise said...

So, are you home now? I'm so jealous!!