From a young age, I knew that I wanted to go everywhere and do everything. Seems like a lot to accomplish but I swear that is lowkey still a goal of mine. But why? Is it because I was raised in Alabama where it seems tragically boring unless you’re at the beach? Is it because I have serious FOMO? I’m still not totally sure but one thing I do know is that I hated the thought of settling down.
It’s a movie cliché, for a fresh, 22-year-old, college grad to say that they don’t want to be tied down and want to leave the place where they grew up, but that’s me. It’s like, why would you want to stay in the same place and do the same thing every day? I didn’t get it at all.
But now I do.
First and probably most importantly, moving kind of sucks all around. I love change; I LOVE it. But god forbid you decide to own anything because all the furniture, random trinkets, clothes, really anything you don’t want to throw away, has to move from point A to point B and if point B isn’t straight across the hall, you’ll have a lot of work to do. The apartment I just moved into doesn’t have an elevator and I live on the 3rd floor. You do the math. Not only do you have to get your items in your place, but then you have to set up camp all over again. It’s the most tedious process.
Second, you have to figure out how to maneuver a completely new environment. Where do you go to the doctor? Who can you trust to do your hair? Where is the nearest gas station? It takes 6 months just to be able to inhabit the area like a functioning citizen.
Also, it’s so annoying that all your friends aren’t going exactly where you’re moving to. Especially moving right out of college, it’s like, okay I have spent 4 years building a community of people at a place I know as home now, time to burn it all down. You go from seeing your people every day to really once a month if you’re really lucky.
Don’t get me wrong, I still wouldn’t advise “settling down” in your life place as soon as you can, it’s not exciting at all. But at the same time, moving around can feel like your creating a Horcrux out of each new destination. In a way, I guess you are. I guess it's right to just move until you find your place, set up a permanent camp, and then travel to ease your restlessness.
