Post #1: Life, Love, and...

Buh-Bye, See you Soon!

After 28 years, one would think I’d know how to pack for a September weekend at Lake Sunapee. And yet here I am, bundled in a borrowed sweatshirt to wear over my tee shirt and pair of leggings for under my cotton PJ pants. My calf-high Smartwool socks sitting in a drawer at home would be far preferable to the little ones on my feet but at least I have my toasty “preggo” slippers.  I guess I packed one thing right…

Though my wardrobe doesn’t fit the weather, I am grateful for the cold front that’s made it’s way up north. It gives me a taste of the New England fall season that I love so much, but usually miss due to the start of hockey seasons spent elsewhere. I’m able to enjoy the crisp fresh air, the scent of a late-night fire on the dock, and the comfort of a cup of tea on the porch overlooking the lake. Not a bad way to close out this summer’s Goodbye Tour. 

As always, prepping for a season away from the places we call home has taken some time. The usual logistics of moving like storing belongings we’ll leave behind, packing and transporting what we’ll bring along, and organizing bills and insurance are amplified by the fact that we’ll be headed overseas as opposed to across the country. And, we have a 15-month old and another baby on the way. Not to mention the fact that we are planning on an extended season of nine months instead of six so that Kevin can finish out the masters program that is a part of this year’s contract. Despite the fact that we had lists of lists of things we’d need to get done, this August was surprisingly less stressful than some of the last. Maybe practice really does make perfect and we’ve finally developed a good system of being nomads. Or maybe we have just accepted the inevitability of a little chaos and learned that those logistics really do sort themselves out. Whatever the case, we’re ready for our next (and final?) season. Including the years at UNH, this will be our tenth hockey season together. And what better place to cap off a decade than Scotland!

This year, like the last two, Kevin headed out early to start pre-season training. He got things situated over there while I tied up loose ends back here. Since B, Baby 2, and I are joining him in two days, we’ve spent most of the week on a hug-collection tour of the East coast. We made it to Norwood for a breakfast with my father’s family, to the Cape to see the Regan relatives, and now New Hampshire to see my mother’s side. As always, these visits are bittersweet. While I’m excited about the adventures that await us, it’s sad that they will bring us away from so many people we love. I guess that’s the one and only unfortunate side effect of having such loving family and friends… it’s never easy to say goodbye, even if it’s just for a little while. But, like my wise Grandmomsa always says, you have to say “goodbye” if you want to experience the joy of a reunion. So, to all those we’re leaving behind, thank you for a wonderful off-season and I’m looking forward to the epic “hello again” that comes nine months from now. xoxo