Sam, Jason & Charlie's Big Move

So this past week was a whirlwind, with the kids driving all the way back from Florida in their new vehicle expecting to get their UHaul loaded, turn around, and drive back within 2 days. 

Nothing went as planned. The hitch install that was supposed to happen in Florida didn't because of a job interview timing thing, but Jason got the job with CCG! 

Jason, in his interview bowtie, matching his newly delivered and still clean car.

It was not this shiny after driving back to Colorado!

And so they set up an appointment with a well-reviewed body shop here to get the tow hitch done on one of their two precious days back while they packed up the last boxes in anticipation of getting the Uhaul loaded and ready. 

Only to discover when they went, on the day before departure, to get the trailer, that the body shop had NOT installed the wiring required by law to tow a trailer and NOT told the kids anything about the requirement that they go to the DEALERSHIP to get that done! (Which is going to cost them another $600 in labor!)

Now it's late on that last day afternoon, no appointment available until the afternoon of the following day, some 12 hours late from their planned departure. They've had their friend Drew, in the air as they get this news, flying in in order to ride back and share the long driving duties. He has to be back on Sunday for work. Leaving another day later is impossible. 

In the end, they cancel the trailer, lose the money on the useless hitch, and set up a POD delivery, and take just what they can squash into the car with three people and Charlie to survive in an empty apartment for a few weeks until it's delivered. 

One last goodbye Friday morning as they dropped off all the late night packing tape guns and drills, etc, on their first of just TWO DAYS to drive cross country 3000+ miles back to Florida. 

the first day, Denver to Austin, was from 7:30 that morning to midnight. 

A couple of Charlie updates from the road:

The second day was even more brutal, from 7:00 in the morning until 2:00 a.m. the next day to reach Florida!

Only for the young!

But they got there safely and still (generally) sane. And they will forever have these crazy early memories of the long trip and the first weeks in their new home living out of boxes without furniture.