I shouldn’t even put a countdown in writing because I’ll jinx us.  In case you haven’t heard, the latest is that we’re still going.  Eric and I will go on January 8 as planned.  CB and Addie will follow in mid-February when we move into an apartment that will let us have dogs.  CB will continue to receive chemo while we’re there.  And he is a super happy dog after his first chemo treatment, btw.  We are on Day 4 and he hasn’t shown any bad symptoms.  Sadly, his pee also hasn’t turned bright blue, which was a possible side effect.  That would’ve been cool.

Y’all have heard about our wonderful vet, Bethany, without whom we would’ve been sunk through this whole thing.  And we also now have a great team at a specialty hospital and an incredible oncologist who is even willing to keep in touch with us and/or our vets down in Panama.  God is good.  God is faithful.  Even in things like dogs.  He knows where our hearts are, and sometimes they are firmly implanted in 81 pound bouncy silly animals who want nothing more than to be with you.  Okay, enough about that.  There’s no crying in blogging.  At least not tonight.

So…a year.  It’s hard to imagine when my house is still as it’s always been…at least in the past year or so.  Nothing is packed.  We have a ton to do.  We don’t have renters lined up.  We don’t even have a kitchen in one of the apartments.  We’re still trying to figure out which international health insurance plan is best for us.  We’re collecting reference letters from banks and “business references,” whatever that means, as one of the many steps in the process of opening a personal bank account in Panama.

In the middle of this, I have roughly 12 more days to write three responses to motions for summary judgment and close down the rest of my post-conviction cases before my end date at work.  That’s the funny part.  Some part of me actually believes I’ll get to leave work on December 17th as planned and start to get everything prepared to leave everything I know and pack for a YEAR.  NOPE!  (If you watch Archer, you can hear how I said that in my head.  If you don’t watch Archer, your life would be better if you did.)

For those of you who are tempted to give up on my blog, I assure you that it will be much more describing what happens when you just pick up and move to a new country and much more of what Panama is like, and a lot less of me just being whiny when we get there.  Or at least if I’m whiny it’ll have a cultural flair…right?  My goal here is to be honest, to share what this experience really is like.  I feel so fortunate to be in the situation that we are in.  So few people are able to just pick up and leave, and even those who can often don’t.  So I want to share the good and the bad, the beautiful weather and the terrible rainy season, the modern city and the ridiculous tendency for everything to take 3x longer than you think it should.

I’m praying for strength right now because this is super scary.  It’s surreal right at this minute, and I think that’s God’s blessing because he knows if I really understood what we’re doing, I would completely freak out.  I think it’s also a blessing that I have more to do at work than I’ve ever had in a two week period.  I HAVE to be focused. I HAVE to work at night and on the weekends.  My brain has to be focused on prisoners constantly, so there’s no time for fear.  Yet.

Speaking of prisoners, the internship with the United Nations, in what I am starting to guess is Panamanian style, fell through.  At least for now.  My contact there had previously said that it was no problem for me to work only 30 hours a week.  My plan was to get to know the city, work on my Spanish in different settings, and have time to be with friends and family that visit.  Long story short, I am likely going to be doing some contract work for my firm here in the US, and the UN doesn’t allow interns to have another job.  When I told them I hadn’t signed a contract yet and would be willing to give up the work here in the States, she was still unwilling to commit to letting me come.  She had some worries about the nature of the class action suit I have been litigating.  She left it open for further conversation when I get to Panama, and I am hopeful that we can work something out.

Very upsetting, considering, first of all, the name-dropping potential of the, ahem, UNITED NATIONS gig, and secondly, the learning opportunities – both in language and in the prison world.  Praying that I can work something out with her once we are face to face.  I have talked to my boss up here, and luckily she completely understands and is willing to be flexible.

Alright, so if you’re up for praying for us, here are some specifics:  1) Wisdom,  2) Diligence in work over the next several weeks, as well as to get done all that we need to do before we move.  3) Decreased anxiety.  Mine is through the roof.  For Eric: Continued strength to take care of me in the wonderful way that he does.

And in the meantime, here are some pictures because pictures are fun.  Thanksgiving, the Carolina/State game (I don’t want to talk about it, but don’t we look happy in the pics?), and my happy dogs.

My dad, brother-in law, Drew, and my niece, Laine at the Old Well.

Bro-in-law Drew, sister Jennifer, and 4 year old niece at Old Well.

All the cousins! Eric and me, Drew and Jennifer, Cousin David and his new wife Averil from Houston, and Cousin Ashley and husband Ian from Atlanta/Decatur. So cool to have everyone together!

Laine modeling her new hat!

Eric didn’t make it to Hogwarts. I told him he had to go to Platform 9 and 3/4 or whatever.

Before the UNC/State game, obviously, b/c we’re happy. With good friends Dan and Sarah.

Game selfie!

I was forcing selfies on everyone.

He only likes them when they’re bloody. Creepy dog.

My friday night with the doggies. It got a little crazy.