TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

I have to admit my head is spinning, and right now I'm trying to take a breath and make a long list of priorities.

We've sold our house.  We really didn't mean to sell it this soon, or this quickly, but the whole thing just sort of assumed a life of its own.  When a cash buyer makes you a reasonable offer and  agrees to postpone closing to suit your schedule it would be foolish to refuse, but now I have about a million questions running through my head.  The packing itself is an overwhelming task - I know from experience.  Every time you think you're almost finished, and that another 5 or 6 boxes should do it, you pack TEN more boxes and still need more.  And more. And then a few more after that.

And our situation is just a little more complicated because just days after closing we'll leave for five weeks in Europe, meaning that we'll need to separate our vacation supplies and clothes from everything that's being packed away.  And then we we get back from vacation we won't actually have a home to return to...and I'm not sure how much 'stuff' we're going to need to keep accessible.  Sure, we'll need more clothes that we're taking for vacation, but also we'll need 'stuff'.  Stuff like computers, laundry stuff, cooking supplies, toiletries.  What else?  With no place to call home in Louisville it's a safe bet that just a few short days after we return from vacation we'll head south fro Florida, where we won't have a home either.  

We are making an exploratory trip to Florida.next week because you can only learn so much from the internet.  What we've learned so far is that yes, we can afford to buy a home in our desired area around Tampa, but we need to figure out what towns and areas we like, and why.  I'm hopeful we can also arrange for a furnished apartment for a few months so we can take some time to find the perfect home.  Due to the flurry of activity surrounding our decision to sell - eight days from the sign in the yard to a signed contract - I haven't even thought about this trip since initially booking flights, a rental car and a motel.  At least I had all that taken care of before the craziness started.

The good news/bad news about our upcoming vacation is that all the reservations were made long ago.  So long ago, in fact, that I really don't remember the details.  Normally I can tell you what time we fly out, and where we're staying, and what the rental car company is, but this year I'm going to have to hope that I did a thorough job and kept all the email confirmations.  Oh, except that I haven't made any reservations for our time in Umbria.  I know we'll stay with friends, but I'm just not sure which friends and what nights.  For me, returning to Umbria doesn't require a whole lot of planning - it's like when we lived in Italy and came back to Louisville for a visit, it was just coming home.   Except that when we're in Umbria I want to maximize every waking moment, and that does require a little thought.

Now lest you think I'm complaining, let me assure you I am NOT.  Who could complain about selling their house in eight days, going to Florida for a week, vacationing in Europe or moving to Florida?  No, I feel very fortunate, and very blessed to have so many wonderful things going on in my life, and I feel very grateful for the many wonderful friends who've helped make all these things possible.  But of course, me being me, I do feel overwhelmed, and stressed, and worried, it's just my nature.  I hate to say it's just too much of a good thing, but I won't because too much of a good thing is definitely better than not enough, right?  In the back of my mind I've been wondering what our next adventure would be, and this is it!  But I really do need to start making some lists, and maybe pack another box or two.