Sunday, September 2, 2012

Moving...Saying My First Goodbyes

Hello and Welcome Back!

Just as the title says, I started the moving and goodbye process. I officially leave in three days and so far, the reality has not hit me yet.

Over the weekend, I moved out of my apartment which was enormously stressful.  When it comes to moving, I tend to grossly underestimate the process which only leads to more stress the actual day of the move. Since I left The Firm over a week ago and upon returning from my mini vacation on Monday, I pretty much had the entire week to pack, organize and clean.  All week, I slowly packed up my things and I honestly felt like I had very little to pack, but when Friday finally came, it was a different story and I was frantically throwing things in garbage bags and cursing under my breath about all the s#%t stuff I had accumulated. I was fortunate to obtain some help at the eleventh hour; but, I completed the bulk of the move on my own, which only led me to think...

Can I continue living this lifestyle and if so, for how long?

Maybe it was the stress talking (because after all, who really likes to move???) because while I was packing, I had some time to think deeply about my long term plans for the future. Don't get me wrong, I love to travel and I'm excited about the opportunity to live and work in Shanghai, but I have to be honest when I say a small part of me is experiencing some fatigue when it comes to the nomad lifestyle. A part of me is eager to finally settle down into a place I can call my own without the undue burden I've placed on others. A part of me is over saying goodbye again and again only to return to where I came from.  A part of me is just tired...

I'm sure many other people who are in my position have these same thoughts and just like me, the thrill and excitement of travel weigh out a life of stability or monotony (or something along those lines).  All I can say is that I've chosen this life and I will deal with the consequences of my choices (rant over).

Now that I've ranted a bit, I was very overjoyed once I completely finished the moving process and a representative from the rental agency did a walk through of my apartment and upon inspection, informed me that I should expect my security deposit back in 4-6 weeks (this bit is crucial since I was engaged in a battle with the rental agency for several weeks over the return of my security deposit). Once the inspection was completed, I dropped off several bags to the neighborhood Goodwill and I continued on back home for a nap and then the massive task of once again, organizing and packing.

Saturday evening found me in the brand new home of one of my childhood friends complete with a delicious home cooked meal by his mother.  His mother exchanged some stories and advice on what to expect upon my arrival in Asia since she had spent some time there and had a sibling who lived there for several years.  It was a lovely evening full of friends, foods, and lots of discussion. We decided to call it a night just after midnight and thus, I said my first round of goodbyes. Despite the sadness of the situation, I remained cheerful and empowered about the new chapter of my life that would begin in the next few days.


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