Russell Beattie

I turned the heat on today.

I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised with the weather here in Madrid this year. My first 3 years here were pretty miserable with short, blazing hot summers and cold rainy springs and autumns, and freezing winters. But this year after a mild winter, Summer arrived really early and just stayed. From May until today. Today it's cold. It's October, so it makes sense, but still... the first time you flip that switch you can just feel Winter coming on...

Anyways, I've got a job interview lined up in San Francisco, so my plans are solidifying. I'm looking at ticket prices and making other arrangements. But having lived here for years, I just can't seem to get my head around the idea that I'm leaving. I'm not sure what to think about the feeling actually. I've been jonesing to go home for a while now, yet the time has arrived, winter's coming and yet I'm feeling nostalgic?!? Urgh.

The idea is that when I go, I'm pretty much gone for good. I'll be back to get Ana and Alex and help pack up the rest of the apartment, but that'll be a short trip dictated by my new job. Basically, when I get on the airplane it'll be officially the end of my time living here in Spain for quite a few years at least.

Anyways, so I have to get off my ass and get my stuff packed, papers organized, etc. It's easy to do, but a huge mental leap. I would never have thought it was as big a leap back home mentally as it was coming here the first time around... Wow.

First decision: WTF am I going to do with all these tech manuals? I've given O'Reilly, Wiley and Wrox entirely too much money over the years here. It'll be a shame to box and leave them, but it'll cost a small fortune in shipping, even on the slow boat by way of China... Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. Urgh.

-Russ