on moving

i’m starting to get used to this.

as i prepare for my 4th move in 5 years, i’m becoming accustomed to the routine: crave a change, find a new place, sell my already inexpensive IKEA furniture for less than i paid for it, start all over, repeat. at 25, while many of my peers are planning weddings and settling down in the suburbs, i feel anything but settled. but for me, i wouldn’t have it any other way.

i saw a segment on the today show recently about two best friends who were separated when one moved to new york city in her 20s. still back in california and attempting to entice her to return after she was heartbroken by a boy, her friend sent her a postcard that read in part, “life is a romantic adventure”. to me, there are few phrases that ring truer. change is scary, yes, but also invigorating. it shakes you up, forces you to dig deep down to begin anew and learn new things about yourself. some might mistake the desire for change as stemming from unhappiness, but nothing could be further from the truth in my experience. i’ll always have an incredible fondness for boston and the time i’ve had here. the people I’ve met, the amazing culture and history, the fantastic restaurants and gorgeous summer days spent strolling through the city. yet, i know that the time has come for me to explore new streets, find new go-to sushi and pizza places, and quite simply, experience another way of life.

sure, I’m trading in crisp new england air for sometimes stifling humidity, a historic victorian home with tons of character for a sleek modern apartment, and vibrant fall foliage for insects of all shapes, sizes, and colors. but, in my estimation, i’m also getting palm trees instead of sneeze-inducing pines, sun-drenched winter days that might have otherwise been spent shoveling snow up north, and dinners al fresco in the middle of the winter. who’s to say what’s better, really? it’s just different. and until i experience that difference for myself, i’ll be left not knowing which I prefer. as far as I’m concerned, that freedom to explore is the best part of being in my 20s.

i’m all about putting down roots...somewhere, someday. but for now, i’m quite content being a tumbleweed.