It's the Fi-Nal Countdooooowwwwnnn danunahnaaaaa dundun dun dahh dahhhh!

My wife graduated from college last night.

That was a good one.

3 and a half years of tears, stress, sleeplessness, and frantic last minute trips to Kinko's are finally behind us; all boiled down to half an hour of long-winded speeches and a quick trip across a stage and all of that part of her life (and, subsequently my life) is quietly put in the closet where it belongs. Now.....

We are finishing packing all of our belongings into storage today. Tomorrow, our respective parents are taking us out to brunch on some waterfront brunch cruise-thingy, we visit Mom's for after-brunch and visit Lupe's family to drop off her mom and sister for the holidays. We also call our travel agent to iron out the remainder of our trip plans tomorrow seeing as how some items are still under contention. Monday, our U-Haul is coming with the movers and we transport the aforementioned belongings into our storage unit and we have our "going away" party. Tuesday, our landlord meets with us to go over the apartment and we cross off the items on our last-minute checklists, cancel the last of our billable services, say good-bye to the world and fly fly fly.

In four days, we will be in Alaska. While this will not be my first time in Alaska, it will mark the beginning of this new stage in our lives.

The last few days have been days of panic, pressure, yelling, crying, freaking out, and finally utmost resignation to the chaos that is now our new life. I cannot begin to tell you what an undertaking this has all been. I feel like a petulant child whining about how my diamond shoes don't match my gold-plated Jag. It doesn't seem like I should have that much to bitch about considering what I'm about to experience.

But god. damn.

This has easily been the hardest and most stressful series of events I have ever experienced in my life. I can't believe that in four. fucking. days.... all of this crazy will finally. FINALLY. finally be over.

That is the only thing keeping me standing at this point: the sheer will to GET there. Out there where I don't know anything. Where nothing feels familiar or safe or contented. Where I'm afraid to speak because I don't know the language. Man, what an amazing revelation that will be. I do so sincerely hope you can all come along. I will post often and plentiful. Be sure to tell your friends all about it.

Soon.

-d@n