What is in an adventure? What makes one outing more thrilling than all the others? Is it purpose? Intent? Is an adventure just a poorly thought-out plan and the turn-out is left to fate or chance? The way I see it there are two kinds of adventures: adventures you intend to take and adventures you don’t realize were adventures until later. While I’d like to be doing more of the first category, I think a majority of my life has been a series of unrealized (though realized now) adventures.
I have lived in over 10 places throughout my 20 years of living. While I was born in Houston, Texas, the death of my mom led to moving away. Since then, I’ve lived in Colorado (Boulder and Evergreen), Florida, the Bronx, Potsdam, Canada (with my aunt), Albany, and a few moves into different houses and apartments. I’m not a part of a military family, neither of my parents have jobs that require they live in various places. We were just met with opportunities and circumstances that we either took or catered to. While I’d love to not have to pack and unpack all of our possessions multiple times, there is something so thrilling about the opportunities we have and what possibilities may come in the future.
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Here are a few things I’ve learned through the years of moving around:
First, no matter how many times you’ve moved, you never really get into a normalized routine. I have a large family and we have a lot of things. My stepmom is super organized, and yet packing everything and moving is still chaotic and in some cases (Grace I’m looking at you) there are days that are never ending.
Second, we have learned to never underestimate the willingness of friends and other family members to help out. I can count dozens of times we have asked for help and help was there. People are so great like that. Even though moving is so taxing, people care enough to help anyways and that has never gone unnoticed.
Third, there are some places I’ve lived that in many ways I still consider home. My parents lived in Lake Helen, Florida, for just over a year and then moved to Albany and a week won’t go by that I don’t think about our months in Florida at least three times. I miss it like I’d miss a childhood home.
Fourth, no matter where you live getting back into the groove is pretty much the same. While I didn’t want my family to move to Albany I’ve found that it doesn’t matter where we live. My family will thrive if we’re together. It’s an adventure and 9 times out of 10 we all end up loving where we live, despite our initial thoughts and feelings.
Fifth, my perceptions of possessions and stability has shifted. Many things, especially with the last move, break or get lost. We go through all of our things and relive the memories associated with them. It's a hello-goodbye-see-you-next-time every time we pack something up. Sometimes things break or we finally decide to get rid of it and the more we move and the more we do it the easier it gets. Nothing is promised and nothing is permanent. I've learned this and it makes me increasingly aware of all of my possessions in a way that is freeing. I'm happy to have my things, but there will come a day when I won't have them anymore.
Lastly, as sucky as it was to have to do the moving-away dance for the 9th or 10th time, I’m super thankful to have parents that follow their dreams and show me you’re never too old to start over or finally pursue lifelong dreams. I trust that no matter where they end up they will be fulfilled in ways many of us will never experience in our lives. I’m proud of my parents and I think they have set an example for me that will aid me throughout the years as I follow my dreams and make tough decisions.
When I look back on the years of my life I don’t cringe. While I’ve had a relatively sheltered and easy life full of privilege and good memories, there were a lot of things that weren’t easy. There were many times I was unhappy or dealing with something bad. Looking back on it all I don’t feel pity or fear or sadness. It’s like I’m reading a book and every move and every good or bad thing that has happened is part of my big adventure. Living, to me, is the real adventure.
