Day 1 in "Paradise"

The house was packed, the carpets were vacuumed, the hardwoods were swept, and the lights were turned off. Then the tears began. I am one of those paranoid types; I check my purse for the house keys while I'm in the house, before I walk out the front door, when I'm right outside the front door before I close the locked door. I have some strange, inherent fear of being locked out of my house, so when I had to intentionally lock my keys into my dark, empty home on Thursday, it was traumatizing, needless to stay. I suppose this event was so traumatic since it was the first home Josh and I shared. When I met him, we went to his house one night, at which point I discovered it was empty (because his furniture had yet to be delivered). My friends told me to run screaming the other way because he was most definitely a serial killer and was going to murder me and hide me in his floorboards. (Clearly, a little too much Law & Order: SVU.) Thank goodness I've never been one to listen to what other people say! This was the house where Josh asked me to marry him. This was the house where we brought all of our animals home. This was the house where we returned after our wedding. This was the house that we called home for three years. Now this is the home that we must sell because we are starting anew in Sterling, VA. I am very excited about our new house (not quite yet a home); unfortunately, we cannot inhabit this structure until December. In the meantime, we are residing in the Extended Stay America hotel in the parking lot of the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA. I've only been here since Saturday, but I am fearing that the "stir-crazy" aspects of hotel living will set in soon. Luckily, there are plenty of outdoor trails and parks near the new house. I've decided, since I don't really have anything else to do, I'm starting a 30-day fitness challenge. I'll let you know how that goes, because we all know that reality and plans are not always the same thing. <3 E