Forty Days

I’m in countdown mode these days, preparing to leave the U.S. and travel abroad for at least the rest of the year. The reasons for this are numerous and complex. The tasks of uprooting my life, closing down my 501c3 animal rescue, and relocating @steemhousepub to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean are daunting. But here I am, doing it anyway. I thought that perhaps a journal to document this journey, which is emotional as well as logistal, might make good blog material.

On August 20, I’m catching a flight from Newark Airport to Paris. Why Paris? I won’t be relocating to France. But airfare for nonstop flights between Newark and CDG is quite reasonable when compared to other airports and destinations, possibly because at least two airlines that operate out of those terminals compete heavily for passengers. I’ll stay in Paris long enough to see the sights, at least two weeks. A dear friend of mine is flying over with me, and it has been a lifelong dream of hers to see that city. So see that city we shall! It’s also a convenient rendevouz point for @michelios to meet us, since he is a French native. Paris just makes sense.

From there, the possibilities remain open. Michel and I have some business to attend for Steemhouse Publishing and it may lead us on quite a tour of Europe. Then there’s Steemfest 4 in Bangkok, which I’m looking forward to because it’s Steemfest, but really dreading the location. You can read why here. It’s going to be an exciting six months, and I’m anxious to get started.

I’ve known I needed to leave Appalachia for a while, but I never expected to go clear out of the country. My novel High Kill may get me in trouble with the local hellbillies and I’d rather not disappear down a mine shaft, if you know what I mean. But the primary reason for leaving that part of the U.S. is health related. I have lupus, with associated dysautonomia that causes a life-threatening intolerance for heat and cold. I can get frostbite within minutes of contact with snow even when temperatures are barely below freezing, and in the summer heat stroke is a very real possibility for me even sitting in the shade during 80-degree weather. Forget sunlight. Seconds of exposure can trigger a lupus flare-up that lasts for days. I can be outside in full sun, but I have to use great caution and lots of sunblock. So without a doubt, I have to move to a mild region that has no temperature extremes. Just not sure where that will be yet. Somewhere in Europe is not outside the realm of possibility.

Closing down the rescue, placing all the dogs, and selling the property here -- all of these things are not going to be easy. But that’s what I’ll be writing about as I document the process, the frustrations, and even the joys of all this change. Stay tuned to my blog for updates.

photo sources:
https://pixabay.com/photos/day-planner-calendar-organizer-828611/
https://pixabay.com/photos/paris-france-eiffel-tower-night-1836415/