Itinerant Life—Three Years Later

On the fourth Thursday in November in years gone by, my mother would often encourage us to remember the events 360+ years prior. That’s an awful long time to look back on. But, like my mother, I have a tendency toward nostalgia, and this past weekend I kept thinking back three years. On July 4, 2007, I moved from The O.C. to Atlanta. I spent the morning reading a book at Dana Point harbor, then headed for John Wayne airport, dropping the book at the library on my way. Later that evening, as I drove north from the Atlanta airport, I saw at least three different fireworks displays. I thought it was a great way to welcome me to the state.

I’ve thought a lot about that move, mostly because the date provides such a nice milestone. This weekend I completed my fourth move since that one. But this move was a milestone in another way too: it was the first time I’ve moved without employer-sponsored relocation since Labor Day 2002. It’s certainly more convenient to have a team of professionals pack everything, load it up, then put it in the correct rooms at my destination. But there’s a sense of independence that comes from doing it on my own.

My place in New York is my 15th address (not including the places I’ve lived with my parents). The upside of this is that I’m pretty good at unpacking: establishing a place for everything and getting everything into its place. The downside is that I find the mere thought of moving again overwhelmingly exhausting. In my experience, moving is a task that I may become better at with practice, but it certainly doesn’t get any easier.

The real upside is that when it comes to moving, I’m done. (At least for the foreseeable future.) I have a brand new place to explore and all the freedom I need to do it. Have MetroCard, will travel.