I’m writing this post from my new house, which also happens to be my husband’s studio and my office. Needless to say, it gets a bit crowded sometimes. And moving this time really sucked because my husband broke his foot and has been pretty helpless – so I was taking care of him, our dog (who had to have surgery, too), and the move. Thank God for friends and family, y’all. Without them, I would have had a nervous breakdown. Oh wait – I did have a nervous breakdown.
Somehow, the garage got emptied. The kitchen got packed. My lost keys found.
And now here we are, in a new neighborhood (I will miss you Venice Beach!) – learning our way around all over again. You see, it’s our 3rd move in 4 years. Before that, when I was single, I averaged a move every two years since graduating college. That’s a lot of moving. I’m exhausted thinking about it.
In the midst of packing, it’s hard to be philosophical or wax poetic about changes. Especially when you are tired, sweaty, and your muscles ache. Mostly, I was thinking about how much I hated moving. How none of my apartments or houses have really felt stable. How I’ve not really been able to call one place “home” since I left my parents’ house at 18.
But now that all of our stuff is here, and we handed in our old keys, it’s time to get settled. It’s time for a new chapter. And I can say one good thing about moving is that it forces you to think about what you want to keep, and what you can let go of. I’m pretty proud of the fact that I am down to basics, and not very precious about any of my things. (My husband however is another story – he has a lot of instruments and art, so…can’t complain about those things.)
I wish I could say that I have let go of my emotional baggage as easily as my possessions. But while I’m still struggling with the same challenges – insecurities, frustrations, all of it – a change of scenery does make something shift in me. In a new house, I have to find new places for things, a new way to make home work. I get more easily inspired, more creative. When I move, it’s like a new opportunity to take chances in my life, to let go of what I loved before, to make room for loving something new.
I won’t miss this guy…
I have to get used to just being here, in a new bedroom, a new kitchen. I have to get used to walking through a suburban neighborhood with nice, normal and standard-issue neighbors instead of the usual arty/ slightly nuts and weed-loving Venice crowd. (Happy hour starts about 4pm there, for reference.)
Letting go is hard. Making a fresh start is hard. But there are always new things to learn, to grow, and new things to love. Like the Kosher bakery down the street in my new hood that serves challah with baked-in chocolate chunks. Mmmm.
XO,
Kelly
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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