Memoirous

There was a relief to be in a van heading back toward Uptown and my apartment building along the lakefront. I’d retrieved my 2 bikes and checked-luggage and, after cramming it all in the mini-van thought to myself: Oh my God how am I going to move with 100x this amount of stuff in a mini-van? You see, I refused to acknowledge I had stuff. I’d flown to Eugene in December with a bike and a suitcase and was still subconsciously suspended within that model. Except now, I had 2 bikes and a whale of stuff to transport. Change of plans. Let’s just say once I went to my storage unit, I saw the light. I’d need a truck   So for the past 5 days I’ve been on a treadmill of packing, meeting up with old friends, appointments with bank, haircut, etc. Oh, and plus my Zoom class for Story Studio . I was packing more than just stuff, I was packing life into these 5 days left here in Chicago. On Saturday I had a full day of storage unit, meeting up with Rian, the friend who came out to see ...

I left Eugene Sept 13 th via Flix Bus. For $22 I got a tix to Seattle. By the time I de-boarded I was the last person on the bus. The driver was pointing out landmarks like a tour guide. My one and only time in Seattle. My long-time (not old!) friends were there to pick me up and take me to their home in Sammamish. It was still light out and I got a chance to see the Sound, the lake, the mountains, that eerie spiked fir trees enshrouded in wisps of low clouds Twin Peaks vibe. I was ready for pie! There were family meals, walking the children to the bus stop in the morning, lots and lots of talking. By day 2 I was afraid I was going horse or else caught Covid on the long bus ride. I will post pics from day hike up to Snoqualmie Twin Falls. Then on bike one day Snoqualmie Valley Trail and the next Sammamish River Trail. Pictures do not tell the whole story. Behind the beauty of the area was the beauty of this family and all the times we’ve shared in the past, and hopefully going int...

 I left Eugene September 13 th . I left my heart. How can I tell it all, the emotions, the hard good byes? Yet, at the same time, the affirmation. It was so in contrast to how I left Chicago for the West Coast the end of December. I blame the pandemic. The fear. I’m no denier, a contagious virus was raging and people were understandably afraid, but it didn’t need to be so isolating. It shut down people, their abilities to reason, in the sense of kindness. The part of us that extends itself beyond—a smile, a moment to stop and say hello, holding a door for someone. Answering a question. The fear of the unknown was so overwhelming that it too became a pandemic. Contributing to public behavior. We see it even now in the number of incidents were folks act out on planes, other forms of mass transit, in grocery stores, etc. Fear is not an excuse, just my underlying theory on why so many people are acting crazy. Thus, leaving Eugene I was so struck by the number of folks who cam...

Today is the DAY! It just so happens it is the same morning they decided to lift the bridges for the sailboats to leave the lakefront harbors for winter quarters/storage. Ahhh, Chicago. As I began packing I had a grand plan. To start with books and then go one section at a time. Easy. Except I wanted to sort them into keep, toss, donate, give away for a sale, see if Grace wants. AWK! It became unsustainable. The books alone took a couple of days. Then there were last minute visits to squeeze in. It became very apparent that I needed to be intentional with the packing, stay on task (stop taking bike rides!), and give up the sort. So I threw out my filters and just began filling boxes. Good because I got it all done by today/bad because I am taking way more than I thought I would be. And, it’s a jumble   All my strategizing went out the window—I just needed to go. So just as I posted before leaving for Eugene, here once again, is Jane riding away.