It is finally starting to hit me, I leave the states and just over 6 hours. I’ve narrowed my life down to two oversized suitcases and still seem like I don’t have enough. Who knew that workout clothes could weigh 14 pounds. I have been filled with a lot of emotions, a lot of packing, a lot of last-minute dinners and friends to visit, and a lot of stress. Last night there were a few breakdown moments in between packing and re packing, trying to narrow down as much as I can and finally just saying, I CAN’T eliminate any more. My brother Chad was throwing out his shoulder stepping on a scale with an 80 pound luggage in his arms trying to get the exact weight down of my luggage. Do you know how much fun it is to unpack all of your vacuumed packed clothes after you’ve already sealed them up? It’s enough to make a liberal go republican.

On and off for the past 32 years I have called California my home, today I not only leave California but the great United States as well. My flight departs at 4:25pm out of LAX and heads direct to Moscow (I just couldn’t get enough of Russia the last time I was there-kidding) I am there for 3 hours and then on to Geneva where I arrive at 8:50pm-11:50am if you’re in California.

I have set up a website just for this venture of my life as I am not sure how often I will send an email but I will try!

http://www.nicolepriest.com

Not quite sure when I will be back to visit but you all will know when that happens. I’m recently registered for the original marathon in Marathon, Greece on November 9-look up the story on the original marathon, it’s fun and always been a dream of mine. If my visa falls through for any reason I will have to leave Switzerland and camp out in Greece until the marathon and then make my way home for a little visit. Worst case scenario I will have to leave Switzerland for 90 days and then I can return.

For my future pen pals here is my address and landline:

Chemin du désalay 8
1172 bougy Villars
Vaud
Suisse
Phone: +41 78 8039516

Currently I will still have my cell phone until further notice. You can download viber for free texting and calls. My Skype name is: prtypriest

Au Revoir

Moving couldn’t come at a more perfect time, living with my brother has been very difficult and for the most part I have never felt welcomed. I suppose in a sense that is what God, or if you don’t believe in that stuff, what the universe does in order to make hard changes easy. There’s no doubt I am supposed to be moving to Switzerland, everything up until this last month was orchestrated perfectly. Some may think this last month of trials and challenges are a red flag to reconsider however, I simply look at it like the blessings on the other side are so great I must work slightly harder to obtain them.

Countless people have asked if I am happy/excited to move and how I feel. That simple question has been difficult to answer because as excited as I am to leave, I’m overwhelmed with the drama and lack of time to pack that I haven’t had time to process that I am not just going on a trip, like the numerous times before in my life, I am moving. MOVING. When I left Los Angeles at the end of June, I said that I was temporarily moving home but as I have come to experience, with a combination of stress, unexpected bills, and heartache (not caused by a man because none of those relationships exist right now and for once I am happy about that) this is not my home. Home is where you feel happy, welcomed, and at peace. I am not sure that I can identify with any particular state or city as my home. I met with a friend and his wife while in Utah and he stated, as he is about to move to London, that his wife is his home and as long as he has her he is happy. I would go to state that the temple is my home and as long as I can see it, I am home.

Tomorrow night is my going away party and I’m excited to bid people farewell. The countdown is on, a week from today I start my journey onto the next event filled chapter.

As I sit in a bare apartment, with my two cats, I am filled with emotions. I have packed, I have cleaned, I have tossed many things that at one point were very important to me, I have narrowed down my life into a few boxes and containers, yet how do I say goodbye to animals I have had for 10 years? The answer is you don’t. You feed yourself an answer that will help you get through this time and tell yourself that you will see them again, that you will pet them again, let them wake you up at 6 am to be fed, or have them clean the remnants of what was once dinner off your plate. I am super grateful for my friend Noah that is moving into my apartment, I know he will take good care of my cats, but he is still not me. He tells me there is a way to set up a camera on their feeder that will allow me to see them and feed them while in Switzerland.

Socks- I will miss your fearless attitude, your ability to eat an entire plate of food, eat all of your mother’s food, and still come to me to eat whatever I am eating. I will miss your snuggles, your constant desire to jump on and play with mom while she is relaxing, and of course, the necessity to lay on my keyboard while I am editing photos.

Mommy- I will miss the way you talk, knead bread on my pillows, let your son eat all of your food without any complaint, your soft fur, and beautiful purr. I will miss making my bed and having a huge lump in the middle because somehow, you have found your way under the covers perfectly. I will miss the way you sit like a panda and clean yourself and how no matter where I am, you want to be, right there under a blanket.

My cats have been with me for 10 years. I watched Socks be born. They have moved from Georgia, to Florida, and to California. They are troopers, they are part human, or at least act that way.

I can’t say I will miss this town but perhaps I can muster up some of my tears as I leave and dedicate them to Los Angeles. Now how in Orange County for 25 days and then off to Switzerland.