I kicked off my summer this year with something a little different from the typical pool party or going to watch the seniors graduate. Instead, my family moved from Connecticut to Arizona. Driving 40 hours away, it definitely left time to get through every possible thought people have while moving. Whether it’s been two towns over or the other side of the country, most people have moved at some point in their lives -- and we all have things running through our heads. So, here are just a few thoughts in that pre-moving (and actual moving) frenzy.
“What do you mean, moving?”
The initial drop of the bomb. Suddenly you’ve turned into an investigator, trying to figure out the time and the place. You start to think about how you’ll have to tell everyone you’re leaving, all the plans you have to make before you leave for what'll feel like forever. You already had plans for job applications lined up, now you'll have to work around all of it. Plus -- where?
“How is all this supposed to fit into boxes?”
If your room is even half as messy as mine usually is, it’ll seem impossible. Clothes, books, bed sheets and pillows, and all the random objects you’ve somehow gotten. It’ll definitely take more than one box, and packing feels like forever because of that. It makes you start to wonder if maybe you’re just hoarding things -- which. If you are, get ready to fill some trash bags too. And everything probably fits better when it's all organized and folded, but honestly, by the third box, you'll be shoving in anything that fits.
“Everything's so empty.”
Packing up the soon-to-be-old house triggers a bit of nostalgia. You were here so long that everything just had it’s own place. So when everything is moved out of the way, it’s weird to notice it’s just a house. Just floors and walls -- the furniture's out of the way. It's kind of strange looking at where you've made so many memories and having nothing there.
“What am I supposed to do there?”
Here you have all your regular places down to a cue. Breakfast places, places to go on the weekend, the town fairs, or even the gym you go to. There, you’re spending hours on Google trying to figure it out. Is the Mexican place down the block really as good as a few reviews say it is? I don't know, you'll just have to wait till we get there.
“Can I bring [insert best friend here] with me?”
Moving to a place where you know nobody is intimidating. Who’s gonna hang out with you last-minute and at 10 p.m. just because? Or watching bad movies? You can be weird with your best friend because they’ve known you for long enough it really doesn’t matter what you do. Sure enough, it'll just take some time to find someone like that elsewhere. You guys might not be as close, but you’ll definitely find friends.
“No, it’s OK, I’ll just visit all the time.”
This idea sounds great, and trust me, it is. Except for the fact that life gets in the way. You’ll be busy with school, a job, and wanting to spend holidays with family. They’ll be busy with the same exact things back home, and you’ll have to figure out when schedules line up. But when you do visit, it’ll feel like nothing’s changed. Plus, whatever has changed makes for tons of new stories to tell each other.
“Wow, we’re actually moving; this is for real.”
Once it actually kicks in, the whole idea is bittersweet. You’re shocked; you’re excited. You’ll miss the familiarity; you’re excited for new beginnings. But by now you’re stuck on a one-way trip: to the new home. You've said goodbye to everyone, except most of them were actually "see you later"s. But now it's just on to new beginnings, and it's just as exciting as it is nerve-racking.
“You know what? This isn’t so bad.”
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and your moving truck has arrived. Once everything’s in place you start to notice how easy it is to settle in. Plus, the longer you’re here the more you notice the good things about this new place. It’s not the same old, and there are tons of new places to explore and people to meet. Enjoy it while you’re here!
