I’m at SeaTac waiting to board the plane. The last six months have been all about squeezing my stuff down to what I can bring on the plane.

Selling my townhouse, getting rid of my furniture, giving all the other things to friends or to Goodwill, throwing away a bunch of stuff I probably should have tossed a long time ago, trying to figure what is really essential, what I’ll really need once I get to Paris. For instance, decided I needed to bring my potato peeler because the French ones are NOT good. And then also of course winding down my job at Microsoft.

I mean there’s also been the tasks of setting things up to live in Paris — getting my long-term stay visa, arranging for an Airbnb when I first arrive, setting up a French bank account (no small task).

And there have been all the things to figure out. How does French healthcare work? What do I have to do to bring the cat? What’s the best way to transfer funds and exchange dollars for euros? What’s the best way to look for an apartment? What documents do I need to apply for an apartment? Can I find real tacos (the actual Mexican kind, not that weird hodgepodge the French call a taco)? So many questions!

But mostly, up until now, it’s felt like it’s been about winnowing, about narrowing, about shrinking everything down to what I can bring on the plane.

And I’m looking forward to the other side, where I can begin creating the next stage of my life.