Final Farewell (Pt. 1): Saying Goodbye to Orlando
And the road to something new.
Before we found calm in Costa Rica, before the coffee on the balcony and walks to the dog parks, we were somewhere in between.
Between homes.
Between jobs.
Between versions of ourselves.
And in that strange limbo, we were still checking off lists. Still saying goodbyes. Still figuring out how to let go of one chapter so we could begin the next.
Nowhere is that contrast between our past and present lives more evident than in how we work each day.
Now we spend most of our days easing into and out of work. There’s no mad dash out the door. No thirty-minute commute.
Most days, I work in our living room. Or upstairs in the co-working space where I can choose from a few different settings.
An open-air garden, flowers blooming all around.
A peaceful zen garden with miniature water features.
Or one of the open coworking areas.
It’s the perfect contrast to fluorescent lights and cubicles from months ago.
Instead of killing time by the watercooler just to get through the day, I am able to:
Live in the moment.
Be surrounded by nature.
Work without distractions.
But in order to get there we had to live through the weirdest week of our lives.
A week of road trips, no home, and long goodbyes to the place where we built our life.
Through the process of letting go I learned you have to embrace the weird and uncomfortable. You have to move forward while the world you knew moves on without you.
Six days before we left Florida, we drove to Tallahassee for our final apostille. I worked my final day as a full-time employee there, and we began our slow loop back south where we would say our goodbyes, and tie up everything we could.
On the way down we made a stop at our favorite restaurant in Gainesville: Mi Apa.
Cafe con leches.
Empanadas.
Cuban rice bowls.
Desserts to go.
Fuel for the last two hours of our drive.
That night, we crashed at my aunt and uncle’s house. It was also the only place we had to sleep.
Our house was already empty.
There was no turning back.
You would think this is the time to panic.
I think this is where the stoic in me really helped.
We had no time to worry.
Worrying would only make things worse.
And we still had a lot to do.
My aunt and uncle have been a huge part of my life. When my cousin Kathleen was born our families started seeing each other almost every weekend.
Our families have celebrated many things together: birthdays, holidays, and Disney trips just to name a few. I even spent some summers at their house hanging out.
It was nice to have family so close by, especially during such a chaotic time in our lives. They made our final night in Orlando special.
After a good night’s sleep and heartfelt goodbyes, we packed up again and hit the road. Only five days until we leave for Costa Rica.
One final whirlwind of errands: the bank, the bookstore, Goodwill.
It was such a relief to check off the final to-do’s in Orlando. Every second of our days was packed from the moment we woke up to the moment we went to sleep. It was amazing knowing we only had one last stop in Orlando.
To our old neighbor’s house to pick up Pookie.
The night before listing our house, we invited our neighbor, Aaron and Carolina, over for dinner. We'd become incredibly close over the last couple years. The kind of close where dinner parties, movie nights, and pool parties just happen without much planning.
They even grilled three dozen hot dogs for Pookie’s tenth birthday.
We’d been putting off the conversation, unsure how they’d take the news.
But it was time.
I ripped off a piece of pita, scooped up some hummus, and stuffed it into my mouth.
There’s only a plateful of rice and a couple scoops of tzatziki left and after delaying for as long as I could, I said it.
“We’re listing our house for sale. We’re moving to Costa Rica.”
A long pause. I held my breath. The silence was deafening.
Were we about to lose our closest friends over this move?
Then… “No way!”
Turns out, they’d been dreaming of Costa Rica too. Not yet, but maybe someday.
They were genuinely happy for us. Sad, but supportive. And of course, they offered to help with everything:
Taking our stuff.
Watching Pookie.
Hosting one last pool party.
We couldn’t have asked for better people to share a fence with. We miss them every day.
After picking up Pookie, we said our final goodbyes. Not so much a bye, but see you later.
“We’ll be neighbors again in Costa Rica!”
One last stop before heading south: Jeremiah’s.
Gelatis for us.
A pup cup for Pookie.
A tiny celebration for the road ahead.
I dip my spoon into the gelati scoop out a small bite. I savour the flavor of cookies and cream and try to etch this into my memory. I want to remember these final bittersweet moments here.
We exit the parking lot to close out our Orlando chapter and begin our journey to something new.
The drive to my parents will likely be the last time I make this trip. After dozens of trips down I95, I feel nostalgic yet eager.
We are still between what was and what will be—but we’re finally moving forward.
Which people have made the biggest impact on your creative journey? Let us know in the comments.
Up next: Our Final Days in Florida
Series in Order:
We Weren’t Unhappy But We Left Anyway
Why We Left a Good Life Behind
Letting Go (Pt. 1): The Beginning of a Creative Reset
Letting Go (Pt. 2): Clearing Space for What’s Next
Between Worlds (Pt. 1): The Messy Middle of a Creative Reset
Between Worlds (Pt. 2): Saying Goodbye to Our Old Lives
Currently Reading: Final Farewell (Pt. 1): Saying Goodbye to Orlando
Final Farewell (Pt. 2): Our Last Days in Florida
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 1): The Not So Calm Before the Storm
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 2): We’ve Finally Made It
Journey to San Jose (Pt. 3): First Day Adventures
Finding Home (Pt. 1): Our First Big Decision
Finding Home (Pt. 2): The Race For Cash
Finding Home (Pt. 3): A New Start
Settling In (Pt. 1): Early Lessons & Adventures
Settling In (Pt. 2): So Many Curveballs
Beautiful start to a beautiful journey! Pura Vida!!!
What a lovely, heartfelt read. I have a friend who is moving to Costa Rica soon to have their baby, so baby can have dual citizenship. Seems like a much more stable place to have a child right now!