an annual* tradition

10 or 11 years ago I moved into my first apartment. I was starting my fourth year (out of five) of college and was SO ready to be officially "on my own" (my greatest dream). since then I've moved *AT LEAST once a year. I've moved mid-lease to live nextdoor to friends at the same complex, I've sublet, broken leases out of fear, lived in someone's living room for a couple weeks, lived in a hotel, tolerated termites, lived in a 10x10 room with the in-laws (both of us, that is), plotted against roommates, and lived on a lake I could float on every afternoon after work.

earlier this year I mentioned we were going to be moving and someone I know said, "well, of course you are." I think I remember who said it, and I remember being surprised because 1) I didn't ever think of moving as being something people would look at me doing and say, "of course! it's what you do!" and 2) i hadn't known the person that long for the pattern to be apparent to them...or so I thought...I could be wrong.

but moving....it's what I do.

as a kid I grew up in a small town...small church, small school. moving was something other people did. that we would ever move was about as preposterous as the thought my parents would ever get divorced; utterly ridiculous. my sophomore year of high school, though, the fam up and moved to cadillac. the week before school started we moved into the house on mosser street. down the street from the dairy queen. a few doors down from my grandma & grandpa sheldon. (that whole story in and of itself is a doozy, but we'll just say it was a rough summer.) we moved so my sister and I could have better opportunities at a bigger school. I went from a class of 30 to a class of 230. it was awesome. I went from a school where everyone had known me since kindergarten to a school where nobody had preconceived notions of who I was or who I could be.

I loved that feeling of starting over...starting fresh. I am the kind of person who struggles to finish things well. I get so pumped up to start things, but once I hit the middle mark, it's hard for me to stay focused and disciplined to see it through to the end. I get anxious to start something else.

since chris and I have been married, we've moved eight times. in six years. and we're moving again in three weeks. (this is one of the reasons why we don't own a house.)

and with each move we learn more about ourselves and who we want to be. we're finally making some headway in this art of simplifying... in being content with what we have... in discovering what we truly need... in finding creative ways to enjoy life without spending money we don't have...

it sure seems to have taken a long time for us to get to even this point. but I'm extremely thankful that we have learned the lessons we have, because there are places we know we don't ever want to be again.


so who knows what the future will hold...we may be moving again next year...maybe not. we're hoping to stay longer, but you really can't bank on that... and not just because moving is what we do :) I've experienced god's unmistakeable hand in taking care of us SO SPECIFICALLY in regards to jobs and moving (it's my ebenezer), and so I have no fear. well, maybe a little fear.


sorry for the rambling! it was just on my mind today. in both where I've lived and where I've worked, I've been in so many different situations. I've got to believe that it's all worthwhile...that it means something...and so seeing it in front of my face helps me think it through...to remember...and see those pieces, how and where they might possibly fit.