Moving Day

[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]

Mike and I just moved in together, which marked my tenth move in the past twelve years. If I stay in one place too long, I start feeling itchy and annoyed by my surroundings. Was that wall always that color? Were my neighbors always so annoying? Was the drive home always so tiresome? Moving frequently doesn’t come free of cost though, with the security deposit and first months rent and an added pet fee and a moving truck/boxes, not to mention the hours of packing and unpacking and arranging.

Every time I move, I find new things to discard or give away, but usually not sell. Nobody would want my things, anyway. But why on earth did I move that ukulele seven times? I never once touched it. Once, when moving from my college town to Chicago, I thought I threw my passport away and went dumpster diving to find it. I never did find it in the dumpster, because it was safely tucked away with all my other important documents. Documents are a pain in the ass to move as well, not to mention a pain in the ass to have. We’re expected to just “hold on” to a birth certificate and a social security card, or else? My god.

Because I previously lived in 250 square feet, I didn’t have that much, because I couldn’t have that much. When I downsized to move into that apartment, I felt a literal weight lift from my shoulders. Having less is a huge…