It’s almost here – Moving Day!
It’s a day that I look forward to with sadness but also with great excitement. Probably compared to many people I have moved quite a lot in my adult life, and to others probably not that much. The amount of my adult moves does not in any way correlate to my childhood. I was raised and lived in my childhood home from 5 years old until I got married in my 20’s. As an adult the longest I have lived in a home is about 6 years, so I guess you can say I should be an expert at packing and unpacking. Most moves were local except for the last 2 moves which were cross-country. One thing I have learned is that cross-country moves take much more thought and planning. You need to know what can go on the moving truck, what can’t, no refrigerated foods, no gas in lawn movers and every little thing must be packed. Once the moving truck leaves if you can’t fit it in your suitcase or your car, you’re going to be leaving it behind. Local moves, especially if you can coordinate good in sync closings are a little less worrisome because you can possibly make some trips by car and it’s amazing how much you can fit in an SUV, and really if it doesn’t fit or misses the truck it’s not like I can’t ask a neighbor to hold it and we come back for it. It’s not the do or die situation that once you leave the area, you’re gone.
So what have we been doing the last couple of weeks, well of course, packing. Yes, we’re packing ourselves. If you haven’t moved recently moving is not a cheap thing to do, so since packing yourself saves lots of money, we’re doing it. Also, I really like packing. It gives you that chance to remind yourself of all the “stuff” you have. You know all those things at the back of the cabinet or closet that you forget you have and never use, and you think why am I packing this again? We have lived here almost 5 years and I haven’t used it once, and in the previous house I don’t think I used it, so for at least 10 years this item has taken up space in a cabinet and yet there I go and wrap it and stick it in the box!
The sadness about moving is that the people you have met will probably in a year or two just stop communicating. With everyone’s life so busy and having friends close by its really hard to maintain a long distance friendship, especially if it wasn’t that close to start with. I have to say that it now has been over 5 years since we left Florida and I still enjoy talking and emailing my next door neighbor and dear friend. Even after all this time I find the discussion to be as free-flowing as when we lived next to each other, this is a true friendship. It’s when the conversations turn to “how’s your weather” you know the end is in sight.
My last job is a good example of abrupt endings. I really wasn’t that close with anyone in particular, except for occasional lunches so I really didn’t expect any type of closeness to continue. To say the least I am disappointed that certain friendships that I thought I had stopped immediately, while another has actually improved. So whether it be work friends, your neighbors, people you know from church or clubs, there’s a higher percentage that the longer you’re away the less you will hear from them. But if you realize that and accept that it’s part of moving on that’s OK. They shared a portion of your life, you carry the memories of the laughter, or sadness, but these people were part of your life and we all should be grateful we had the opportunity to meet them and they have become a part of a long and full life. With the amount of moving we have done, I am happy to say that no matter where we have moved, I have had the opportunity of meeting some wonderful people and glad I had the time I shared with them. I certainly hope that we will stay in contact, as we’re only moving 90 minutes up the road. It’s not like we’re again moving out-of-state, but a relatively short drive based on Texas standards, only time will tell.
The excitement part is moving into the new neighborhood and meeting the new neighbors and starting the cycle over again. I enjoy meeting new people and with the amount of invites already received to participate in things, I am hoping that this will be one of the neighborhoods that we will enjoy for years to come. There’s always room for new and more friends, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on your old friends. If you’re going to be traveling down a road that is taking you to a new neighborhood or area, make sure you take time to meet your neighbors and participate in clubs. Friendships should be nurtured and each one cherished and appreciated in its own way. I’m tired but looking forward to the new roads we will be traveling on in the next week.
A New Road to Travel 