A month ago, as Liz and I sludged through rusty water, giggling at Moe as she splashed in doggy joy through the indoor lakes, we got to talking about moving. There was the first move we shared together (also with Moe) when the Uhaul broke down in the middle of the intersection and I had to maneuver a powerless truck out of the road. There was the move that involved a month or two of covertly crashing on a friend's couch and smuggling the dog. Then we started counting and realized that for me, I've moved every 2-4 months since I graduated from college.
I pondered my gypsy-esque lifestyle, and now that I am somewhat nestled in to a new place a month later, I'm realizing that I've been sucked into a time-lapse of the last nine months, and the end to my migrant habits is pretty far off. That is to say, the speed of my moving has increased. I stayed in NYC for two weeks, plopped down in Portland for three days, stayed in Colorado for one week, went to Seattle for a day, now I'm in Portland for three days, LA for four days, Portland for three days, LA again for three days, and then theoretically back in Portland for 2-4 months. And then God only knows where I'll be. Anywhere from sea to shining sea in this country, with a vague possibility of being gone altogether from this continent.
I guess this makes sense given the fact that you create your own reality and this lifestyle kind of mimics the way my brain works--jumping around with little long-term planning. But damn. I have reached the point where it is wearying. Long story short, today I wanted to blog about maintaining calm in the middle of the storm. Or...having a sense of home no matter what. Not that I am particularly great at it, by any means.
But here are some love-nuggets for you to savor:
Music.
An instantaneous way to ground your mood in whatever way you need.
Network.
When traveling is less like traveling and more like friend-hopping it is way more fun and definitely helps you stay centered.
Alcohol.
In the words of Eleanor: "Sorry 'bout it." It's guaranteed to relax you and put you right at home.
Exercise.
Okay this may seem contrary to the last one, and I also have to admit I'm not great at it. Weirdly, this is more difficult to procure than alcohol when you're on the road, but I think it helps move traveling energy through your body. Hippie moment! Also, it's good for you.
Art.
Duhhh. There really is only one way to digest and make sense of the human experience, especially when you are experiencing a great deal of change. Creating/absorbing art. That's what I think.
damn I love you.
ReplyDeletedont think I could have handled the past few months with anyone but you