Outward and onward...

Well, we're out.

After full three days of packing, boxing, swearing, crying, eating nothing but fast food, cleaning and next to no sleep, Reece and I officially turned in our keys and shut the door of our Salt Lake City apartment for the last time today.

I haven't quite processed things yet.

I do know that wiping the little handprints off our sliding glass door took a lot more effort than one would think, and not because of the physical exertion.

I know that taking down Lola's nursery hurt my heart (and my lower back).

I know that I must have looked like a freak when I burst into tears while picking up dinner at the Cafe Rio on 4th South... and again while grabbing a smoothie from the Jamba where Reece and I sat and sipped on the night I went into labor with Lola... and when I drove past the Capitol where I walked millions of times with my baby and by best friend... and when I walked from the newsroom to Crown Burger for my weekend twist cone.

I also know that staring at our empty little home was almost as painful as childbirth (well, not quite).

I've been trying to hold it together, but find myself falling apart much more than I'd like to admit.

Who knew it would be so hard to say goodbye to our city, our friends, our favorite places?
And even though it's still just a 35-minute drive away, I know things will never be the same.
And that makes me very, very sad.

But change is good.
Change is exciting.
Change holds the promise of bigger and better things.

So I'm done crying.
I'm done stressing.
I'm done trying to hold on to the things that are now in our past (SLC friends not included -- you're stuck with us forever) -- written into our family history with so much love, fondness and joy.

I'm ready to start our new life.
A life that will bring a new baby, a new school, a new home and new people.

I'm also ready to eat real food again, because Wendys and Subway have definitely lost their appeal.
So here's to new beginnings.

May this new adventure be as beautiful as our last.