Just follow the signs.....

I hope I have some time to go back and tell more of how and why we ended up leaving our "perfect" life to go drive over three thousand miles with four kids through Mexico, Guatamala, El Salvador, Hondouras, and most of Nicaragua to go live in the "poorest" country in the western hemisphere.... But for tonight. I just want to jot down a list so that my poor brain won't overflow and push amazing memories right on out the other side....

1) the night we decided... What an electric conversation that was ..... Went from someday to let's do it in only a few minuites... A good marriage is a beautiful thing....

2) the next day when we went separate ways to break the news to our loved ones, Jack told my parents, I told my kitchen crew, the free range kids folk, loved ones were all a totally unexpected mix of jelous, supportive, pissed and shocked. "Only for six months" we said.... "We just need a break". Whoa how the rumors flew.... The paper reported there had been a mutiny and the crew had taken over. We wavered, but every time one of us came home feeling melted and like changing their minds, the other held strong.

3) closing down the hemphill house, ending the most magical summer ever, wondering if there was any way we even could pull off such a feat.....the day Jack came home and found me in bed crying at 3 pm... Sobbed myself to sleep, and woke up ready to take on anything in the world.

4) the moment, just like the one a few weeks before, when I realized that NOW was the time.... Telling Jack, his imidiate agrement, and preparing all of our paperwork to apply to adopt from Nicaragua, the decision to get married, the wedding planning, the parade ceremony on my birthday and the restaurants 8th anniversary. Completeing our home study, psychological evauations, every paper certified and authentisized and notarized....red tape out the gazzoe

5) the death of our darling little Lucy dog followed imediately with that of my dear old cat friend and familiar, Jared. My heart was raw from joy and pain... Life was fresh and new again. The children were feeling the stress of it all.... It was everywhere.. The gears were shifting

6) packing up the house, no idea what to take, the piles and piles to goodwill and the dump. Every single thing sorted and organized, a lifetime goal of mine.... Swept up into a neat pile with so many other huge changes and just handled like they were every day affairs.

7) helped one of our best friends through a major life crisis stage for a week, tended sacred fire, a lot of farm animals, and the spirits of our loved ones in a true time of need.....and then the even harder decision that despite our love, we had to go...we couldn't stay...much soul searching and deep prayer and thought...

8)sleepless nights and busy busy days... End of July to the 11th of October.how could so much happen so fast? We turned our whole life upside down, Inside out, and shook it real good. Married, moved, vaccinated the kids, got a new little dog, kissed my darling parrot Lola goodby, gave away my horses, killed the roosters, home study, buried two beloved animal friends, shut down the free range kids @ hemphill, handed my restaurant over to the crew, went through every belonging we had, found and rented a house in Nicaragua, bought a suburban from Maryland, sold a motorcycle, had too many good bye dinners with friends to count, found an attorney in Managua, bought a cannoe, handed over Jack's business to Danieal, moved out of our house, ...........I'm sure there was more... And that was while still tending our normal family affairs...kids still gotta eat, bathe, sleep, and laugh.... It was dizzying to say the least. But we knew we were alive. Never fo a second did the apathetic normalcy of modern life ever threaten us... We were free, were were living... Everything feels different when your in that clarity of a mission, no haze of complacency to dim the colors of our life. Everthing was vivid, the joy and pain mattered, and kept me driven, I had a goal, I had a mission, there was adventure on the horizon and everything was full speed ahead.... Hell yea! Hold on tight... Here we go! Whoooooohooooooo

I once read a book called The Alchemist, if my crazy choices and drastic change seem strange to you, I'd suggest you read it ... As a matter of fact, I suggest everyone read it... Even if they already did.... It's what it's all about... Life I mean, just follow the signs to follow your destiny. The signs are all there if you are looking for them.