What better way to spend two sunny, warm California weeks than……… MOVING. Oh wait, I can think of like 500 better ways to spend two weeks. But THIS time I was eagerly completing Phase One of my nascent International Real Estate Empire! Yes my little California condo finally closed escrow - fully tricked out with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a really BIG kitchen sink. It was heaven. After a few minutes of worshipping the garbage disposal (we don’t have those in Germany), I loving stroked the gigantic sink (also a German rarity) and tongue-kissed the microwave (same thing). The champagne cork popped faster than I could holler “It’s MINE!” and we christened the place “DIVA PACIFIC”. (Diva Dubai, Diva Paris, and Diva Hamburg are in discussions…unfortunately Soenke put me on a budget for 2006… thanks a lot, babe.)

But back to reality, my old place had about twice the square footage of my new, so I engaged two great helpers (Mom, Soenke) to assist me in divesting myself of approximately half of my U.S. possessions – no easy process, I can tell you. At one point in this somewhat traumatic experience, Mom asked me how many of the about 5 sets of dishes I wanted to ditch. I looked at them…panicked… overwhelmed… fatigued…and burst into tears. Never one to be daunted, she showed up the next day armed with 2 boxes of Kleenex in case of future meltdowns. By the end of the week (buried in boxes), I couldn’t have cared less about ANY of the dishes and would have happily entertained a suggestion of eating off paper plates for the rest of my life.

With the ever-growing list of ‘to-dos’ in hand, I quickly waxed more efficient than a German carmaker. From 8-9, I bought a new fridge…from 9-10, I met the cable guy… from 10-11, advised a client via cellphone while simultaneously packing boxes… from 11-12, ripped open all those same boxes trying unsuccessfully to find my cellphone charger… from 12-1, compared paint colors while stuffing down a quesadilla… 1-2, organized movers, a painter, and window coverings…2-3, located a uHaul truck and met with the construction dudes… AND SO ON (day after day…). In the middle of all this, Soenke flexed his muscles, shuttled boxes, and brayed like a pack mule…. Mom saved the day by helping me make decisions - dispensing Kleenex- and lining up various organizations to clean out my garage.

On the day of the big move, our incredible Moving Dudes showed up – supermen Mike & Steve from OC Movers were organized, efficient, and full of helpful moving ideas (“are you sure you WANT to keep that yellow pineapple lamp?!”). With obvious expertise, they kept our spirits high and effortlessly whisked my furniture from the old place to the new. We were SO thankful that we may name our children after them…or at least invite them for Christmas in Germany!

I think it was with no small measure of relief that Soenke headed back to Germany a few days later. For example, it had been simply INCONCEIVABLE to him that it would take 3 trips to the paint store, 10 samples quarts, several conference calls and meetings, a team of experts, and a bottle of wine to pick out just 3 COLORS for the walls of my new place. He had never seen such a thing. But it was necessary…. ALL necessary, I tell you!

With him gone, I simply threw my remaining possessions into the cupboards and closet, and tossed out what still wouldn’t fit. It was time to have some FUN, & I filled my evenings with old friends and family. My bro, his wife, and 3 boys for the NFC championship game and a Lego-fest on Sunday (actually, Soenke was there for that…), Dad for Italian on Monday, Roya for hair & shopping on Tuesday, Katie for “Kick-Ass Nachos” on Wednesday, Brandon and Theresa for fish and fine wine on Thursday, Mom for a beachside birthday lunch on Friday, Heather for more Italian and lots of vino on Saturday ! Restaurants all over Orange County were filled with snorting laughter and raucous reunions every night. During the light hours, I sprinted to the office for endless hours of phone calls, tax projects, catching up with my colleagues, and gazing at Catalina Island out the window…

While the California fun and sunshine filled me up like an empty vessel (and yes, the trees are FULL of leaves, even in January!), less than a week had gone by without Soenke before I knew it was time to go back to him. I moved my flight up a day…threw my luggage together….. and Heather schlepped me up to LAX. This bond of love was tested when the boarding agent handed me an ECONOMY CLASS boarding pass for the 11-hour flight (a center seat, no less)… but I stoically marched on board and steeled myself. It was only after the doors were shut that I noticed with horror that not one, not two, not three, but FOUR BABIES were in the row ahead of me!!!!!!! [in the spirit of ending on a high note, I will omit the gory details of the flight…]

Happily back in Hamburg, totally jet lagged, I prepare for Barcelona… New York… and much more to come!

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Mom enthusiastically packs up my old kitchen:

Soenke takes down the curtain hardware:

Signing the final loan docs:

Finally, the key !

Soenke & Mom admire the kitchen…

Supermovers Steve & Mike finish off the furniture…

What a disaster! (and yes I KEPT the yellow pineapple lamp!)

The next morning, Soenke orders up a good ole’ fashioned steak & eggs breakfast to keep up his energy:

My bro & his kids come over for their late Christmas presents! (Legos, Legos, Legos!)

Their third son, Chase, demonstrates his Everest-in-training skills:

Not to worry… they have a fourth boy on the way! (That’s Gina my sis-in-law)

Soenke almost looks like a daddy…

My bro tests the ’safety’ of the slide:

Aunt Sis (that’s me!) likes the playground too: