If you’ve never reloacted, then you could never fathom what it’s like to have to your life shaken up and/or to have to restart all over again (in that retrospect). For some people it can be rather jarring. For someone like me, it’s a way of life. A gut-wrentching feeling of ‘WOW, Mama!’ that hits you like a brickwall everytime.
Or in my case, every 6 to 9 months.
I’ve probably stayed somewhere for longer than a year at SOMEPOINT in my life. But truth be told, I can’t remember it. I was origianlly born in Arizonia; it snowed that week according to an old photo. Ironic if I do say so myself.
I’ve moved around so much I can’t even remember everywhere I’ve been too. I say roughly 24-25 states, but I started the 50 State Challenge* to back those claims up. It’s one thing to brag about a trip, but a picture says 1,000 words without you even speaking.
What you gain, being on the road, it’s, it’s indescribible. And yet, quite absolutely invaluable all the same. You gain a real sense of culture (that of yourself & others), you learn things about yourself you never knew, and for better or worse you grow in ways you can NEVER unsee. It’s intense, surreal, powerful. Two sides to every coin though. You tend to lose friends when you move, it can be hard to readjust sometimes, and moving (or any form of travel) can be costly.
To a decent extent technology has taken a lot of difficultly out of moving. Search engines let you scope out the new pad before you even step outside. Social networks let you stay in contact with old/good friends. Deal & coupon sites let you book massive savings on travel (or travel back). But it’s still a game changer, every single time.
Having done it so much, I’ve gotten everything down to more or less a routine.
Step 1-Go to new area. Step 2-Get instantly famous because everyone in a 200-ft radius can’t stop gossiping about name.
That’s not really it, just what ends up happening. I tend to go where my business takes me. Feels a lot like being a cowboy. I try to stay out of trouble & never get too far with that one. I try as hard and as long as possible to stay standoffish, offensive & unbarable. See I have this guilty pleasure. I love to meet new people, and like, interact with them. And friends are the best new people. Certainly better than the cops. But I hate it when I make new friends, because it’s always the same. At some point I will leave, and at some point it’ll feel like all the time we spent together (especially if she’s a cute friend) will have been for nothing. Everyone wants to talk you out of leaving, even if they know there’s nothing they can do to stop you. It’s harder on the person moving because they’ve got to constantly be reminded that everything’s about to change. For reals, for reals. I make the best use of my surroundings, and if I ever run into trouble, I try to rely on what I’ve learned in other cities. I’m still horrible with directions, but I always try to commit the local [insert whatever] scene to memory. Never know when it will come in handy. If I’m returning, I try to revisit old locales, not out of nostaliga, but rather to refresh the memory. Again, never know when I’ll need to know where anything is.
Moving’s [to or fro] far less complicated. It’s just become so 2nd-nature to make plans, and aquire whatever means I need to get out & go. But all to often it usually comes down to the best option that can get me out of town at the last minute. I often joke, give me a smartphone & $50 and I’ll have a place to stay in less than a week. You usally try to pack light, but sometimes you collect more than you think. Both physically & mentally. My intent is never to come in & wreck and good thing for anyone, but I’ve broken my share of hearts. I’m sure that trend will continue. Living so unstably, you really see life from so many other perspectives, which can be good sometimes. Though for someone like me, it’s the only constant.
*There are various forms of ‘The 50 State Challenge’ & you can no doubt find countless individuals & groups devoted to it online. I simply used that name because it made the most sense at the time.
