A house is just a place to stay, but a home is the place where you make your memories, even if your memories are mostly about moving from one home-sweet-home to another.
By Astrid Februarie
Change is inevitable. Just as we change the style of our hair, just as we move from job to job, so do we get the notion to move home every now and then.
Let’s be honest, just the thought of moving is stressful. Although it means a change of scenery and new neighbours, the process is exhausting.
But for me it has become second nature. I have moved home 12 times, and I am only 29. The first six moves were with my parents, so then it was chaos.
Chaotic because we would move as a family, all five of us and our pet dog, and this would mean a lot of packing, unpacking and coordinating. And as a kid it was not a fun activity, but a necessary one for my parents.
My parents were always chasing something, pursuing opportunities. I’ve inherited this habit of moving for opportunity, always chasing something to better myself.
On my own, I’ve moved six times since I left home, driven by changing jobs, finding cheaper places to rent, and chasing opportunity.
As an adult, I have tried to simplify every move, as I usually do everything by myself. It’s not as if no-one is wanting to help me, it’s just that I feel I can get more done at my pace. And with every move, believe it or not, I cry.
It is an emotional journey, as each place comes with some really good and some really bad experiences. The bad ones make moving to the next place even more exciting.
I always start each move by packing up my room, clothes and shoes. I then move onto my kitchen and the living room. Finally, my prized possessions take the longest to pack.
I have a habit of going through each photo album, old letters from friends, and every birthday card I had ever received.
I am a hoarder of memories. I hold onto things I think most people would just get rid of, but to me they are part of my journey.
When I arrive at my destination, I always carry these prized possessions into my new room first. They are more important than any bed, cupboard, shoe rack or bathroom mat I have ever possessed. Everything else does not matter, it can be replaced.
Moving is an adventure. It gives me the opportunity to reflect on where I have been and where I am now.
None of the rooms I have occupied have been the same, but the things I move into them make them special. Each room has had a family photo placed on the windowsill. This is followed by my paintings, and then the final stage is finding a safe place to store my albums, letters and birthday cards.
Once I have settled in I always feel liberated in some way. Moving can be a daunting experience, but every time I have moved and have completed the task of setting up my room, I feel like it’s a new start to life.
- This article first appeared on the Change Exchange, an online platform by BrightRock, provider of the first-ever life insurance that changes as your life changes. The opinions expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of BrightRock.
