I got my Travel Authorization to DC!

Moving is stressful! We got rid of a lot of stuff last weekend between the yard sale and Goodwill, and there are probably a few boxes worth of stuff still to go. I finally got the movers scheduled to come pack up all my things on Oct. 26th and have my one-way ticket to D.C. for Oct. 28th. But there are still a lot of things to get done between now and then...most notably to me at this point, get our house rented to someone stable and reliable, and get my lease for my apartment in D.C. signed. Both of these things are going to give me an ulcer!

Renting out your house is not a fun prospect...when we moved in, we took a lot of time picking the 'perfect' paint colors for every room, which are probably not going to be perfect in the eyes of a renter - in particular, I'm guessing our purple and yellow "office" and the dark blue bathroom and accent wall in the dining room probably aren't for everyone. So, we decided that we'll let tenants paint (of course, we get to approve the colors though). It's sad to think that it may not even look like 'my' house anymore, even though we'll still own it. Plus, finding the right tenants has been difficult so far...we're headed into our second round of applicants and I have my fingers crossed that something will work out this time.

Then there's the lease in D.C., which is more stressing to me for some reason. My training program can be anywhere from 3-12 months, so I've been told by my HR liaison. This makes finding a place very difficult because there aren't many reasonably priced options that offer month-to-month or really short term leases. I'm not too keen on the idea of renting out a room in a shared house, and most wouldn't let me bring Wally along anyway...so, I found a nice apartment, but I'm really worried about having to move out before my lease term is up. I don't know why it bothers me so much - I'm sure it happens often, but I hate the idea that I could potentially be paying for a vacant apartment for months if I get an overseas assignment before the lease is up.

So, I'm focusing on the more fun tasks I have before I go...things like figuring out how I want to spend my gift card to the spa, picking out new furniture and planning a going-away party.
Everything will get done eventually....right?