Last Night in Cleveland

I'm in a room that's nearly empty save for a few assorted pieces of furniture. The furniture feels like a lie, because all of the drawers and shelves are empty. There's nothing left on the walls of any meaning. It's no longer the room that I grew up in, and it'll no longer be my primary residence. And that's weird.

It's my last evening in Cleveland.

The boxes are packed and have been stacked carefully by a group of unskilled laborers that have been far too kind and generous with their time.

The moving POD (http://www.pods.com/) has been effectively, if not skillfully, packed and is locked for pickup tomorrow.

The 2003 Mini Cooper is cleaned, gassed up, and has been inspected and cleared for travel by the fantastic gentleman of Classic Mini in Willoughby, OH.

The hashtag has been selected: #MiniAdventure. 

And my dog has spent the past day curled up in the place my bed used to be, looking sad, confused, and desolate. 

It's looking like my trip will cover 3000+ miles, across 12 states, over 8 days. 

I would try to offer some intelligent rhyme, or witty phrase, or insightful quote, but I have none of that fresh in my head. So I just want to say thank you to the many folks that have celebrated my transition, helped me along the way, came by to wish me well, and offered support. A rough move is made easier knowing that if everything goes horribly awry, I've a web to fall back on.

So I'm going to go to bed for the last night in  my childhood room and snuggle with my dog for the last time in awhile. I might never be totally ready, but the time is nigh. Let's motor.