Travel Orders!

I got my travel orders, or Appoint Orders, yesterday afternoon.  With that I was able to get my flight from Boston to DC arranged.  I also started coordinating my packing and moving.

It's feeling real.  Five weeks from today I'll be heading down to DC and moving into an apartment in Arlington.  

My pack out date is July 1, so that's only four weeks away.  I don't have any furniture or large appliances or stuff like that (called HHE - house hold effects) to worry about for now so packing and moving should be fairly easy.  Hopefully, my air freight, or unaccompanied air baggage (UAB), will already be in DC and can be delivered to my apartment before orientation starts on July 13.  I do need to see if my bicycle will be shipped UAB or if I have to make other arrangements.  DC and Northern Virginia have become very bike-forward since I've been there last, so I definitely want my bicycle with me.

I've gone through my clothes and culled a lot.  Two large bags for Goodwill and another large bag of suits, shirts, slacks, etc. for a work-clothing drive at the Boston Design Center.  Feels good to purge things.  Now I have an idea of what I'll need to buy to rebuild my working wardrobe:  suits, a few shirts, a couple of pairs of pants, some ties.  Dress during three-week orientation is suit and tie; during training that follows, probably less formal, but still professional.

I changed my goal of making five pairs of pants to altering and restyling pants I already have, based on a thorough review of my clothing.  That's done!  Now I'm making a messenger bag to take with me.  It's based on this Bathurst Bag pattern but a bit larger with a few style changes.  No pics, yet, but when I'm done.

Lots more to do in the next few weeks.  After so much waiting, though, it's nice to have movement and be busy.