How Many Different Ways Can You Make Fun of Canadians?

That's right, we've crossed the border into Canada: the first leg of our journey. I've been surprised at how many people have been able to look at our cars and figure out we're going to Canada (check out Amber's post today). Yes, I really didn't figure it out until we reached Blaine.

Anyhow, here's what's gone down the last few:

1) I walked around panicked and in a daze. Because of this "issue", my Emily friend ended up packing for me. Thanks, Em!
2) I cried and reminisced. Not because I'm going to Alaska, but because I'm leaving behind all familiarity, my family, and because I realize that I'll eventually be saying goodbye to Amber.
3) I bit people's heads off. I've been very anxious and agitated. For those of you who have been victims of this, I love you and apologize.

I seriously contemplated burning the apartment complex down. Can you imagine how much more simple packing and moving would be if we just started new each time?

Our friends flew into Portland on Friday. They arrived at the ungodly hour of 5:30am. Fortunately, my insomnia has been in perfect form this week and so I was up packing. In fact, I hadn't quite gone to sleep. So, naturally, the first order of their vacation was to help me finish loading the moving truck, drive and hour, and unload the numerous boxes of kitchen paraphernalia and 4,000 books. No joke, there are actually more like 4,300 books. However, I believe we made up for it with wine tasting on Saturday. That is fabulous entertainment, by the way.

From there Anthony, Dad, and I packed and loaded the car, cleaned the apartment, and headed north to my final "going away" party. Thank you so much to Anthony and my Dad or else I'd have never ended to Mom's by 4:30pm on Sunday.

We got a late start this morning because it is the shortest of our journeying days, so we slept in, ate breakfast at our leisure, and took our time. I'm getting less anxious and more excited about the move.

I bet you're wondering why I titled my post the way I did. Well, I'm twittering and FB'ing our journey and found that many people have stereotypes about Canadians. I have to say I was impressed with how many people decided to put in their two cents of "cultural" comments regarding Canadians. I must say that the first Canadian we met today was a homeless pirate and screaming profanities at us. But not to worry, I've mostly only met Canadians that I'm quite fond of.

I'm quite surprised at how easy it was to say goodbye to Mom. I expected it to be more difficult. I decided it was easier because Mom has always supported anything I've thought to do. She's positive and encouraging and she believes in me. Knowing that has always made me stronger when I've felt helpless. I can imagine that the fact that I am able to just pick up the phone and chat with her anytime is a comfort.

Everything has been a whirlwind and I'm looking forward to the prospect of settling in. Saturday night Amber and I had a good cry. I think it'll happen again come the end of October, but crying makes us girls feel better and right now I'm feeling pretty good.

Just Your Average Intro...

Remember being asked in grade school to write an autobiography, maybe 500 words, about who you are, where you've been, and what your future goals are? While my oily, prepubescent classmates scribbled away, delighting in the opportunity to try to stand out from their peers, I wrote three sentences. "My name is Amber Marie Gaines. I am 12 years old and have lived in the Northwest my whole life. My goal for the future is to keep living in the Northwest." Gripping. Compelling. At least D+ worthy.  

One would think, for my lack of ambition and excitement about my past and future, the idea of blogging about myself would horrify me. And yet I find myself convinced that there is such an overabundance of the average in my life that my material is limitless. I will literally never run out of nothing to write about. To add to this, my sister Sara is partnering with me in this blogging adventure, and I feel she will bring a delightful amount of anxiety and compulsion to the project. Perhaps a word from her would now be appropriate....

My name is Sara.  I am moving to Anchorage, Alaska, in six days.  I've lived in the Northwest my whole life and decided to begin a blog because I have many a friend curious if I will be acquiring a dog sled and living in an igloo.  I actually had a couple friends think that driving to Alaska from Oregon is impossible (I'm moving to Alaska, not Hawaii).  To be quite honest, I'm a bit disappointed that that adventure won't be mine to embelish.

I didn't want to do this alone, however, so I mentioned the project to my sister, who asked a few questions and decided it was a fabulous idea.  So here we are, 11:11pm on a Monday, creating our very first blog posts.  Okay, enough explanation.  Here's the guts:

Unlike my sister, I suffer from the "Over-Achiever Complex", meaning my life is super ordinary, bordering at times on completely boring.  I reconcile myself to this fact by stressing out as often as possible, being full of anxiety, completely consumed, perpetually overwhelmed, and borderline obsessive compulsive.  That HAS to make my life much more than mediocre, right?  Unfortunately, the reality is that my life is much like Amber's.  C+ average on my best day.

I'm really not all that sad about this because I'm very much used to it.  I do feel that by embracing this simple truth, I am an expert on being average, mediocre, plain, simple, and non-dramatic.

I want to give you a big, warm "WELCOME" to our blog and I hope you enjoy being included in our marvelously mediocre lives!  Here's to not always being able to see the forest through the trees, to making life a place to feel safe, and to reconciling ourselves to, well, ourselves.   

Let us share our journey with you!