How people react when we tell them we are leaving

I’ve been reading some travel blogs today looking for travel tips (I’ll share the good ones in due course) and came across an interesting thread on Vagabonding asking How did people react when you told them you were leaving? (that is continued on the BootsnAll Travel Boards).

The most heartbreaking reaction we had was from the gentleman who bought out (other) car just days before we left town.  A local Richmonder, he responded with, “Oh, so I guess you must hate Richmond.”

Ouch!

In fact, I want to make it clear that we’ve had a great time living in Richmond and our reasons for this trip aren’t a negative reflection of our feelings about Richmond at all.

On the other hand, almost everyone else, from friends to total strangers (including the wife of the guy who bought our car), have been really excited about the trip.  We’ve been surprised by the outpouring of encouragement and support, and the sheer enthusiasm, especially from Neil’s coworkers back at the cube farm.  (The offers of places to stay from friends and family across the country have been awfully nice, too.)  It has been really fun to see people so excited and happy about our trip.  Now we feel like we have standards to live up to!

Another common reaction has been: “Well, you’ll be blogging the trip, won’t you?” or “Then you’ll have to blog the trip!”  I’ve been surprised by how many people have brought up blogging it.  I was on the fence about whether or not to write up the trip, but in the face of popular demand, we figured we’d better do it. (We are here to serve. )

We’ve also had a several people offer to come with us.  If the Mini weren’t already bursting at the seams, we’d take you all along, too.  In the absence of more passenger room, I hope the blog will suffice as a vicarious experience. Your milage may vary.