Moving on...or staying put.
A few weeks from now will mark the five year anniversary of moving to this tiny Northwest town. Five years. It's the longest I've lived in any one place since leaving home for college more than 13 years ago. In fact, the three years we've been in this house is another record.
Sometimes I feel the pull to move again. The desire for change. The urge to start over. This place is different from the others, though. There's an equally strong pull to stay here. I feel rooted in the forest, the mountains and the ocean. I discovered while living in Arizona that I couldn't live without water. I couldn't be a desert fish.
I grew to hate Arizona so much that it would probably have meant the end of my marriage if Tom hadn't felt nearly the same and been ready to move also. I ended up moving to Washington by myself while he stayed for another six months to sell our house. I just couldn't bear to live there another second. The funny thing is, I clearly remember thinking how much I liked it there right at the beginning.
Anyway. This wasn't meant to be an Arizona-bashing post and the perspective granted by a five year separation will allow me to grudgingly admit that there are many nice things about the state but for me, it's a better place to visit than to live.
Eventually the need for change will force me to tear out my roots and move on. Maybe even transplant myself to another country for awhile; I've always wanted to learn another culture and language. Preferably a place with lots of water...
posted by Amy N. @ 11:20 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
WoW! Are you really able to go live in another country? That would be fantastic. I think 5 yrs in one place is pretty good. That was also my record in living in the same place on my own, too. It's tough to move, though, even if it is also exciting.
PS. And now that I've experienced Arizona, I can see exactly why you'd prefer to visit that live there!
You and I share much in common! Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I adore the evergreen forests, the lakes, rivers, and other water bodies, and all the wonderful rain! Someday, I will most definitely return.
Having made my first big move recently, however, I am really enjoying the appeal of starting fresh in a whole new place, and like you I can't wait for an opportunity to jump overseas and live somewhere that really throws me out of my element.
In my recent big move, the one lesson I learned was this: even if I think that I've reduced the amount of "stuff" I have to a reasonable amount, I can still do MUCH better. By the time I'm ready for my next move, I hope to have significantly downsized what I originally thought was a modest amount of "stuff."
Mo, I've always wanted to spend at least a year living in another country. Fortunately my husband does too, or I might be in trouble. ;) It's picking where to go that's the hard part!
You picked the right time of the year to visit Arizona and it sounds like you had a lot of fun.
JLB, we came back here after several years of living in other places. I feel the same about starting fresh and it's not in me to stay in the same place forever. And it sounds like Pennsylvania suits you a lot more than Arizona suited me.
The one thing that worries me about staying put for so long is all the "stuff" that accumulates. Moving has always been our way of cleaning house, so our next move is going to be rough! My downfall is my books and art supplies. *sigh*
Oh me too! Books and art supplies all the way... and houseplants (although I gave away about 150-200 houseplants when I moved away from Washington... my green children never would have made that cross country trip in the winter).
Good luck with your "stuff" LilyB :)
The pull of the water can be powerful, and I also can't imagine living in a landlocked place again. Of course, D.C. isn't exactly "on the water" but the beaches in Virginia are only a few hours drive away.
The longest that I've ever lived in one place was 3yrs, and I think that's about right (move any quicker and it just gets downright annoying). Robi's postdoc is only a 2yr contract, and most likely he'll be moving on at that time, but I have no clue where I'm gonna eventually end up and I like it like that! ;-)
You're so lucky that you and your husband agree on moving to different locations. I've been here for 16 years now, missing the ocean every single day, and I've come to despise this place. But there's not much I can do about that right now except wait and see if someone comes to his senses some time or other. :-)
Ooh JLB, I would have been happy to adopt some of your houseplants. Darn!
I think Tom's tool collection has actually surpassed my stuff at this point. :D
Crystal, you're so right about the pull of water. At least DC seems to have a lot to offer and I've heard that Virginia has some great beaches.
The actual process of moving is annoying to me, but I like the change and adventure of being in a new place. I can't imagine being content with staying in the same place for my entire life.
Christina, if you feel anything like I did, it's pure torture to live in a place you despise, especially knowing where you used to live. Have you ever discussed a move with Mr. M? Just wondering if he's even remotely open to it.
Oh yes, we've hashed it over a million times and I've gathered all the information we could ever need as far as immigration is concerned, but he's not willing to take the risk. Oh well.
I guess since moving to another country is a much bigger committment than just moving to another city or state/province, I can kind of see his point of view, but it still sucks for you. Phooey.
Wow, so you are considering living in another country for a year! Now that sounds really adventerous. I hope you guys will be able to pull it off.
Me too. The hard part is deciding where. :)
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