I’m hoping I am nearing the end of a month-long process of moving. I got the keys last month, but the process has been slow going. I thought it would be quick like 1-2-3, and then boom. Done. But this isn’t the case. Moving has become another exercise in life, and one which I’m struggling with. I am finding that moving isn’t clear-cut and straightforward, like many things in life. It’s taking time and I need to remind myself about patience.
The first thing is dealing with the yard. I’m moving to a small townhome but I wasn’t anticipating feeling as overwhelmed with it as I thought I would. I’ve been living in an apartment for the past 6 years. Before then, yard work was always something I avoided as a kid. I have one memory of getting poison ivy really bad at 9 years old that was enough to dissuade me from playing out in the woods and avoiding the outdoors, including yard work. Now, I have a tiny little yard to add to my upkeep. It’s been a struggle because I expect things to be done immediately instead of realizing that it takes time to do something. There are projects I want to be done, and I don’t have the means or the knowledge to do them. Researching how to perform sed projects or opting for someone to do it for me takes time either way.
The next thing is the house itself. I had to make some major purchases right at the beginning. As a result, that doesn’t leave me much room to make immediate changes or projects. This is okay for the time being. But after living on my own for the past 6 years, my apartments felt like extensions of my bedroom or my college dorm. There was no real rhyme or reason to design, decorations, or decor. Just a bunch of eclectic knick-knacks that I have accumulated over the years. Which is okay too. But for the past few years, I have just left things cluttered everywhere. I still want to display my knick-knacks. I let my geek flag fly with my Funko Pops, books, and odds and ends. But I am going to try and do it tastefully, well, at least have matching shelves for it all to fit together. These things, like the yard, will come in time.
Lastly, the task of readjusting to a new location will be challenging. I live in the city I grew up in. The family isn’t too far away. I’ll be moving about 20 miles away to a new city, and while it’s from the same metro area, it’s still a new city. Readjusting to a new house let alone a new place is intimidating. For the first couple of weeks, I used the GPS to find my way there and back to my apartment. I try to take in the sights and memorize the alternative routes my GPS has taken me on. I’ve made an effort to try and get to know my neighbors. I found a gym and my bank. I think that I will eventually invest in a bike this fall after some money again to bike to everything nearby and try and save some money as gas keeps climbing. And I know I’ll adjust, but the biggest issue is getting past that anxiety of being alone without actually being alone. 20 miles isn’t a long distance but it’s a long enough distance to feel somewhat isolated. As I navigate moving and the coming months of adjustment, I need to use those newfound patience skills and become patient with myself as I figure out the new area as well. This, of course, is easier said than done.
Moving is probably one of the more stressful times in a person’s life. I know my stress has been crazy for the past few weeks and it’ll only get worse over the next few days leading up to Friday. But this experience will hopefully make me better as a person and teach me that life is a balance with patience, things will eventually get done.
Kelly's Surf Words 